President Ojakian and Governor Malloy Announce Manufacturing Jobs Challenge

Today, Mark E. Ojakian, President of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) was joined by Governor Dannel P. Malloy to announce a partnership between the state’s public community colleges and several manufacturers including Sikorsky, Pratt & Whitney and Electric Boat. The goal of the partnership is to pair graduates from CSCU’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centers (AMTC) with available in-state jobs identified by the manufacturers. The AMTC offer a 10 month certificate program where students are trained for careers in aerospace, defense, biotechnology and other manufacturing careers.

To kick-off the partnership, Governor Malloy and President Ojakian launched a “300 Jobs, 300 Days” campaign to enroll and graduate a minimum of 300 students beginning in the upcoming fall 2016 semester. 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 AMTC certificate program is part-time or full-time and cost approximately $5,000- $7,000 including materials, tuition and fees. Many of the programs have internships or apprenticeships available and credits can apply to an Associate Degree.

“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,” President Ojakian said.  He added that “More than 90% of CSCU’s advanced manufacturing graduates find a job following graduation.” 

In July of 2015, Governor Malloy announced that the Obama Administration designated the State of Connecticut under 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. Today, there are over 4,600 manufacturers In Connecticut.

“We are making great strides in our efforts to align workforce training with the needs of our employers. We have developed programs to deliver the skills requisite for 21st century manufacturing – and we’re proud of that work,” said Governor Malloy. “The ‘300 Days, 300 jobs’ challenge is another step forward.”

“There’s good news to tell—Connecticut manufacturers, large and small, are hiring,” said U.S. Senator Chris Murphy. “This year’s federal budget boasts huge wins for Connecticut defense manufacturing, particularly in the submarine and aerospace industries. We have predictability, and now we need workers ready to fill the jobs in demand. This innovative campaign will help us get there. I applaud the Malloy Administration and CSCU for their hard work.”

“Electric Boat is adding more than 800 new jobs in Connecticut this year,” said Electric Boat Vice President of Human Resources and Administration Maura Dunn. “We’re already seeing benefits from our partnerships with Connecticut Community Colleges and are excited to see more efforts to prepare local folks for highly skilled careers.”

“As technology continues to advance rapidly, and the complexity of our products increases, so, too, does the need to maintain a highly skilled and knowledgeable workforce in a continuous learning environment. At Sikorsky, we pride ourselves as leading our industry in the design, manufacture and service of rotorcraft; to maintain that leadership we must attract and retain the best and brightest, and as such we are proud and grateful to support the Connecticut Advanced Manufacturing Initiative,” said George Mitchell, Vice President, Product Centers for Sikorsky, A Lockheed Martin Company.

“In preparation for a significant production increase, driven by our game-changing PurePower® and F135 engines, we have hired more than 200 production and assembly employees within our Connecticut operations. We are also actively hiring for manufacturing, engineering and other positions in Connecticut and across our global network,” said Danny Di Perna, Pratt & Whitney senior vice president, Operations. “We applaud CSCU for the launch of this new initiative, which will not only benefit companies such as Pratt & Whitney, but the many manufacturing businesses in our supply chain who depend on a highly-skilled workforce to remain competitive globally in the 21st century.”

Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Catherine Smith indicated 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 an important sector of our economy, and the students emerging from these programs will surely power the engine for Connecticut’s growth in the future.” 

“As partners in CSCU’s ‘300 Jobs, 300 Days’ campaign, the Labor Department has developed 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 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.”

More information on CSCU’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centers can be found at www.ct.edu/makeithere.