CI has announced they are establishing funds to encourage the growth of IT jobs in Connecticut.

A new $4 million fund has been established to support the formation of very early-stage technology companies and jobs, Connecticut Innovations announced Monday.

Called the Connecticut Innovations Pre-Seed Fund, the pool of general obligation bonds can be used by start-up tech companies to cover expenses such as accounting and legal, intellectual property development, prototype development, business plan assistance and development, technology reviews, assessment or development, market analysis, market entry strategy development or hiring resources, consultants or employees.

CI is the state’s quasi-public authority that administers technology investing and innovation development. President and Executive Director Peter Longo said the fund was created in this year’s General Assembly session under Public Act 10-75, “An Act Concerning the Recommendations of the Majority Leader’s Job Growth Roundtable,” and replaces CI’s former Pre-Seed Support Services Program.

“This definitely helps accelerate the formation of these businesses,” Longo said. “This helps spurinnovationaspeoplebecome displaced. People become much more entrepreneurial.”

CI has a portfolio of about 50 active companies, valued at about $42 million. The number of businesses in the portfolio has grown over the past year, but the value remained flat, Longo said.

The authority invests in early-stage, state-based tech companies, university/industry research collaborations, technology transfer and clean energy initiatives through the Connecticut Clean Energy Funds.

The new terms raise loan caps to $150,000, and applicants now must show evidence of private matching funds equal to 50 percent of their loan request.

Longo said CI is accepting applications and more information about terms and conditions and the loan application may be found at www.ctinnovations. com/preseed.

CI also oversees the Eli Whitney Fund, which provides financing for later-stage companies that are beyond the steps of proving concepts and are involved in commercialization. Longo said the authority’s relationship with entrepreneurs goes beyond closing the loan. CI also provides coaching and mentoring services.

A solar energy company is asking local residents to trust their knowledge and give them jobs in Connecticut.

According to a press release written by a fan of the company, for many years in Connecticut and around the U.S., we have heard about the promise of Solar Photovoltaic PV electrical systems. One of the leading installers in Connecticut is Sundoor Solar located in the middle of the state. Visit Sundoorsolar.com. If your thinking about Solar energy – I encourage you to let them earn your business. Plain and simple.

So why is Connectcut going Solar? In areas like California, where there is a large concentration of solar PV Photovoltaic, homeowners believe that “oh yeah they have much more sun than we do”! Yes, Solar is much more mainstream in areas like California, with an abundance of solar installations.

Yes, it has something to do with great sun and very few cloudy days, but is largely attributed to their utility rate structure that penalizes larger users of electricity by having tiered rates that go up as usage goes up. This is a big incentive to install a solar system, in order to knock out the higher tiers, at the very minimum. In Connectuct we payer higher electric costs then ANYWHERWE other than Hawaii.

To learn how complex and messed up the Connecticut rate issue is take a look here at the DPUC webiste. But remember – The incentives are huge right now. There has never been a better time for Solar energy in CT.

In the past year, Connecticut Solar installation companies soared to new heights selling and installing solar energy systems, and the future shines bright STILL in Connecticut we at Sundoor Solarfeel.. But, here is what we found in a we search just this morning.

Oneforce – Never heard of them before last week. they are in CT great guns a blazing

Mercury Solar – NY company. Moving north with their marketing

Ross Solar – Not a CT company I dont think. Not originally anyway

BEfree – Quality CT company.

Jobs in Connecticut are on the rise, according to a new Manpower survey.

Employers’ hiring plans were negative for the last three quarters of 2009, but positive for all four quarters in 2010, according to the survey.

Still, in a robust economy, Manpower’s seasonally adjusted net employment outlook hovers in the low- to mid-20s. Before the record low of negative 2% for the third and fourth quarters of 2009, the survey’s previous low point was a net 1% hiring outlook for the third quarter of 1982. The survey started in 1962.

“The employment outlook has been positive for all four quarters but clearly it’s flattening out,” said Jonas Prising, president of Manpower in the Americas.

Employers’ hiring outlook “remains better than last year all the way through but it indicates that employers are taking a very cautious approach to hiring,” he said. “They still want to maintain and hold on to their current work force but are only anticipating cautious hiring.”

The Manpower survey measures the percentage of firms planning to hire minus those intending layoffs. Manpower doesn’t measure the number of jobs.

Separately, the U.S. economy lost 54,000 nonfarm jobs in August, though the private sector gained 67,000 jobs, according to the Labor Department.

Looked at by industry, 11 of 13 sectors showed a positive net employment outlook for the fourth quarter, compared with 10 of 13 sectors in the third quarter. But for the fourth quarter, all but one industry showed a decline in sentiment from the third quarter. Manpower’s industry data is not seasonally adjusted.

The two industries with a negative net employment outlook for the fourth quarter were construction, at negative 8%, and government, at negative 7%. The Manpower survey does not count Census hiring; the decline in government hiring is due instead to severe budget shortfalls, Prising said. “The government, state and federal, is still struggling with budget restrictions and deficits,” he said, “especially the states.”

For each industry sector, here are the figures for the net employment outlook for the fourth quarter, not seasonally adjusted, in order of most positive outlook first:

•Mining, 13% in the fourth quarter, down from 17% in the third quarter

•Wholesale and retail trade, 13%, down from 15%

•Professional and business services, 10%, down from 15%

•Leisure and hospitality, 9%, down from 20%

•Information, 7%, down from 10%

•Manufacturing, durable goods, 7%, down from 9%

According to a recent survey by Manpower, employers are gearing up to hire for jobs in Connecticut and other regions in the U.S.

Employers’ hiring plans for the upcoming fourth quarter stayed about flat from the previous quarter, but are up significantly from a year ago, according to the latest Manpower Employer Outlook survey published Tuesday.

A seasonally adjusted net 5% of firms said they intend to hire in the fourth quarter, about flat from the 6% who said they planned to hire in the third quarter, but up from a record low of negative 2% a year ago, according to the Milwaukee-based firm’s survey of more than 18,000 U.S. employers.

Employers’ hiring plans were negative for the last three quarters of 2009, but positive for all four quarters in 2010, according to the survey.

Still, in a robust economy, Manpower’s seasonally adjusted net employment outlook hovers in the low- to mid-20s. Before the record low of negative 2% for the third and fourth quarters of 2009, the survey’s previous low point was a net 1% hiring outlook for the third quarter of 1982. The survey started in 1962.

“The employment outlook has been positive for all four quarters but clearly it’s flattening out,” said Jonas Prising, president of Manpower in the Americas.

Employers’ hiring outlook “remains better than last year all the way through but it indicates that employers are taking a very cautious approach to hiring,” he said. “They still want to maintain and hold on to their current work force but are only anticipating cautious hiring.”

The Manpower survey measures the percentage of firms planning to hire minus those intending layoffs. Manpower doesn’t measure the number of jobs.

Separately, the U.S. economy lost 54,000 nonfarm jobs in August, though the private sector gained 67,000 jobs, according to the Labor Department. See story on smaller-than-feared 54,000 nonfarm jobs lost.