Wallingford to offer new high school courses.

Wallingford will offer new high school courses in manufacturing

  

 Published: July 14, 2015 | Last Modified: July 14, 2015 09:43PM

By Eric Vo Record-Journal staff

WALLINGFORD — The school system is hoping to offer two new high school courses in manufacturing during the 2016-17 school year.

 

School and town officials met Tuesday with business leaders and representatives from state community colleges and universities to discuss courses that would help students land manufacturing jobs. The group also toured Lyman Hall and Sheehan high schools.

“The overarching goal is we need to keep manufacturing not only in Wallingford, but in Connecticut,” Menzo told the group. “We need to keep it and grow it.”

 

The group will reconvene to discuss curriculum for the new courses.

 

School and town officials also said they want to address the “stigma” they feel is associated with manufacturing work, said Economic Development Specialist Tim Ryan.

 

“One of the things that hovers over manufacturing is this stereotype that manufacturing is sweaty, noisy jobs,” Ryan said. “In reality, all manufacturing is not like that, especially advanced manufacturing.”

 

Lou Manzione, dean of the college of engineering, technology, and architecture at the University of Hartford, added that “young people don’t recognize the exciting careers in manufacturing.”

 

The lack of young people interested in manufacturing jobs is hurting state businesses, said Hubert Godin, coordinator of engineering science and technology studies at Middlesex Community College.

 

Menzo also said he wants the new courses to help solve town-specific issues. It’s a similar model to the one used by the University of Hartford, Manzione said.

 

“We try to address where we see there are needs and there are significant ones in Connecticut,” Manzione said.

 

Manzione said University of Hartford programs involve partnerships with companies like Pratt and Whitney. The businesses help the college identify needed skills.

 

The group also agreed there isn’t enough marketing of manufacturing programs around the state. Menzo suggested the local Parent Teacher Advisory Council could help promote the new Wallingford high school courses.

 

Jay Cei, Ulbrich Stainless Steel chief financial officer and a school board member, attended Tuesday’s discussion.

 

Cei said the company is looking into a certificate program that would allow students to work as interns or shadow an employee, with the hopes it will lead to a full-time job.

 

Ulbrich may also sponsor a program that would allow students to go to college full time and work at the company part time.

 

If they return to work at Ulbrich after graduating, Cei said, they could receive 50 percent student loan forgiveness.

 

evo@record-journal.com (203) 317-2235 Twitter: @EricVoRJ

Manzione Helps Connecticut Earn Federal Support for Manufacturing Partnership Initiative | University of Hartford

Posted 07/14/2015

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Submitted by David Isgur

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Category: Campus Announcements

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A partnership of several Connecticut companies, state agencies, and two educational institutions (the University of Hartford and University of Connecticut) was among 12 applicants from across the country to be successfully designated by the Obama Administration under the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) initiative. With this designation, Connecticut will receive coordinated support from 11 federal agencies with access to more than $1 billion in federal funding dedicated to economic development and the resurgence of manufacturing in the United States.
Louis Manzione, dean of the University of Hartford’s College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture (CETA), was an important member of the team that worked on the proposal that was selected by the Obama Administration. Manzione helped write two of the six segments — one dealing with Research and Innovation and the other focusing on Workforce and Training — in the proposal.
“This federal designation recognizes — and strengthens — Connecticut’s leadership position in advanced manufacturing, specifically in our aerospace and shipbuilding industries,” said Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy in announcing the state’s successful designation. “With this designation and the federal funds supporting economic development programs in manufacturing, the state can accelerate and enhance our initiatives to boost innovation, worker skills, supply chain capabilities, infrastructure investment and job creation.”
Connecticut was recognized for its comprehensive economic development plan for this sector, which delineates the roles that individual communities and public-private partnerships (such as the University of Hartford’s work with the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology) play in carrying out the strategy. The plan focuses on five areas in particular: building supplier networks; building a pipeline of capable workers for the future; infrastructure and site development; increasing trade and investment; and improving manufacturing operations and access to capital.
"Connecticut has a long history on the front lines of manufacturing innovation and development — driven in large part by our universities, community colleges, and technical schools,” said Connecticut Congressman John Larson (D-1st District). “This ecosystem of small and large manufacturers, academia, and groups like the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology leaves Connecticut uniquely qualified to train the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators. With this IMCP designation, Connecticut can continue to grow its workforce and push into new frontiers in the aerospace and shipbuilding industries.”

Dr. Suhash Ghosh: Outstanding Student Section Advisor Award: 2015 - American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

Suhash Ghosh receives the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Outstanding Student Section Advisor Award for 2015.  In the past three years, Dr. Ghosh, an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, in the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture (CETA), has been instrumental in resurrecting the University of Hartford ASME student section and leading it to newer heights of involvement and accomplishments.  The student section has built enviable industry relations through numerous field visits and industry guest lecture series.  Students from Mechanical Engineering have actively participated in numerous local and district level competitions and events.  Some of the highlights of their activities are Hartford Section's Annual Student Paper Night, Annual Student Design, Oral and Poster Competition at the District's Student Professional Development Conference, and the Hartford Section's Annual ASME Engineers Award Celebration.  The ASME student membership at the University of Hartford has tremendously grown in the past few years.  Dr. Ghosh attributes the success of the section to the passionate and energetic members of the E-board that have worked closely with other CETA clubs & societies, SGA and the ASME Hartford section.

May 2015