Capital Workforce Partners is the Workforce Investment Board serving 37 municipalities in North Central Connecticut. As a workforce board, one of its key responsibilities is to create and administer youth employment and future workforce strategies. With that in mind, in 2006, they began to research required workforce competencies by interviewing businesses large and small. Once the competencies were determined, they started to weave competency development and measurement tools into all of their learning and employment programs for youths ages 14 - 24. Other area workforce boards and educational institutions have taken note, and have been adding the 7 career competencies development into their programs as well. The goal is better preparation for the future workforce, an imperative for economic competitiveness in the years to come.