Connecticut announces manufacturing program funding for community colleges

Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that state’s three new Advanced Manufacturing Centers at community colleges across Connecticut will receive $7,325,000 in funding for facility and equipment upgrades that will allow the centers to enhance and develop their educational opportunities. The funding was approved during Friday’s meeting of the State Bond Commission.

The centers, located at Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport, Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury, and Quinebaug Valley Community College in Danielson, opened their doors last fall and recently graduated their first class of students.

“Time and again, I hear from manufacturers about their need to have a trained, skilled workforce that can fill some of these in-demand manufacturing positions, many of which are good paying jobs,” said Governor Malloy. “To compete, we need to show these manufacturers that our workforce has the skills they need and that we are training our students for the real-world jobs they want to fill. By investing in community colleges and intensifying their manufacturing programs, we are making an investment into the economic health of Connecticut and building the workforce that attracts manufacturers to our state.”

“These centers represent the very best of what we are able to accomplish when we work together as a system,” said Philip E. Austin, Interim President of the Board of Regents for Higher Education. “Under a very tight timeline, these three new centers were established, the machines and other equipment necessary for instruction were purchased and installed, and they recruited and enrolled their first class of students using a curriculum modeled after the highly successful model at Asnuntuck Community College. This funding will help these centers expand their ability to educate and train the skilled workers necessary for advanced manufacturing jobs in our state. We thank Governor Malloy for his continued support of these programs and our students.”

The funding will be used towards the following projects:

—$1.5 million for Housatonic Community College to add a welding lab to their manufacturing center. HCC continues its work with its Regional Advisory Board to confirm the need for skilled welders in the region, including the review of options for virtual equipment and the pursuit of appropriate faculty expertise for student learning.

—$825,000 for Naugatuck Valley Community College to add additional manufacturing equipment to the existing advanced manufacturing center, retrofitted to support local industry needs including the purchase of a deep draw press.

—$5 million for Quinebaug Valley Community College to build an advanced manufacturing center on their campus in Danielson. For the first year, QVCC has worked with nearby Ellis Technical High School to utilize existing space until the college could grow the program and obtain funds for construction on its own campus. The funding will be used for construction, as well as for the purchase of machinery and other manufacturing equipment.