CSCU and Governor Dannel P. Malloy Announce State Surpasses Manufacturing Jobs Challenge

Today, Governor Dannel P. Malloy joined the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities  (CSCU) and several manufacturers — including Pratt & Whitney and Electric Boat — to announce that the state has surpassed its “300 Days, 300 Jobs” advanced manufacturing challenge.

Prior to the 2016–17 enrollment Governor Malloy and CSCU President Mark Ojakian launched a “300 Days, 300 Jobs” campaign to enroll, graduate and most importantly get a job for a minimum of 300 students from the August 2016 enrollment to May 2017 graduation period.

“We have exceeded our ‘300 Days, 300 Jobs’ enrollment period challenge. We are proud to announce that Connecticut’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centers have graduated more than 450 students to careers in advanced manufacturing,” said Ojakian. “With the completion of the January 2017 enrollment period this past May we have surpassed even our expectations for turning certificates into careers. Yes, you can ‘Make It. Here.’”

The participating community colleges are Asnuntuck in Enfield, Housatonic in Bridgeport, Naugatuck Valley in Waterbury, Quinebaug Valley in Danielson, Manchester Community College in Manchester, Middlesex in Middletown, and Three Rivers in Norwich. The Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center (AMTC) certificate program is part-time or full-time and costs approximately $5,000 to $7,000 including materials, tuition and fees. Many of the programs have internships or apprenticeships available, as well as financial aid, and credits can apply to an associate degree.

The Advanced Manufacturing partnership pairs graduates from CSCU’s AMTCs with available in-state jobs identified by advanced manufacturers. The AMTCs offer a 10-month certificate program where students are trained for careers in aerospace, defense, biotechnology and other manufacturing careers.

“In less than 10 months, Connecticut’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centers can help students launch a career.  Our goal is to expand the size and scope of our programs, substantially increasing the number of students graduating, which is critical to helping Connecticut’s manufacturers meet expected hiring needs in the next two decades,” President Ojakian said. “And since over 90 percent of CSCU’s advanced manufacturing graduates find a job following graduation, the 300 Jobs, 300 Days challenge has been more than successful in getting our graduates into great careers.” 

“Since the May 2016 Challenge, Pratt & Whitney and Electric Boat have each announced that they will require more than 10,000 new skilled workers to help them meet the needs of current and expected business. At CSCU, we are succeeding in our efforts to align workforce training with the needs of our employers through a wide range of programs designed to deliver the skills required for 21st century manufacturing,” said Governor Malloy. “Achieving the ‘300 Days, 300 Jobs’ challenge is another great step forward.”

“You know what sounds better than ‘300 jobs, 300 days?’ 477 jobs, 300 days. Congrats to CSCU, the students, and our state’s incredible manufactures for blowing past their goal of training and placing Connecticut students into manufacturing jobs,” said U.S. Senator Chris Murphy. “Work at Electric Boat, Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky, and the hundreds of Connecticut suppliers they rely on is ramping up. We need to be doing everything we can to train talented workers who are ready to fill open manufacturing positions, and this initiative is proof that Connecticut is up for the task.”

In July of 2015, Governor Malloy announced that the Obama Administration designated the State of Connecticut as part of the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) initiative. IMCP is designed to strengthen manufacturing capabilities across the country by supporting states with long-term economic development strategies.

Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Catherine Smith noted that, “We at DECD are very excited about this campaign and committed to supporting President Ojakian’s vision for producing highly skilled workers. Manufacturing is a critical sector of our economy, and the students emerging from these programs will surely power the engine for Connecticut’s growth in the future.” 

“Electric Boat has hired nearly 100 graduates of the Advanced Manufacturing Technology certificate programs from Quinebaug Valley and Three Rivers Community Colleges, and an additional 40 will start in the near future,” said Maura Dunn, Electric Boat Vice President of Human Resources and Administration. “These graduates are ‘job ready’, with training and practical skills that allow them to immediately contribute to our important mission of delivering the world’s best submarines to the U.S. Navy.”

Pratt & Whitney also recently announced that it would be hiring 25,000 new workers worldwide over the next 10 years, and that in Connecticut there would be about 8,000 new hires.

“As partners in CSCU’s ‘300 Days, 300 Jobs’ campaign, the Labor Department has participated in the challenge by launching a system that connects unemployment insurance recipients, including our veterans, with information about advanced manufacturing certificates that can be earned in less than 10 months,” added DOL Commissioner Scott Jackson. “Promoting outreach and awareness about a program that offers great careers and real job opportunities with a Connecticut manufacturing company is a total win for our residents, our employers and the economy.”

The announcement was made at the 2017 Connecticut Business Summit at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, Conn.