CCAT was on hand for a recent Pratt & Whitney and United Way Leadership Reception hosted by Pratt President Bob Leduc and featuring Victor Sosa, a 2018 East Hartford High School graduate who successfully completed the CCAT/P&W Pipeline Program.
CCAT facilitates a pre-screening process for manufacturers, including Pratt & Whitney, that links qualified entry-level workers to jobs. Associate Director of Education & Workforce Development Lynn Raicik pointed out that for 10 years, CCAT has acted as the Manufacturing Intermediary for Workforce Solutions linking job seekers to entry-level jobs in manufacturing. CCAT has used funding from Workforce Solutions to build recruitment talent pipelines into urban areas not necessarily viewed as a traditional pipeline for entry level manufacturing jobs, which was a critical part of the Pratt & Whitney program. CCAT is also a strong partner with the EHHS through the Boston Federal Reserve Working Cities Challenge initiative called East Hartford CONNects. The process framework begins with candidate recruitment through an online application portal, administration of assessments for math, reading, and mechanical aptitude, and one-on-one interviews to validate competencies and determine job readiness. In August, CCAT provided Pratt with candidates for air-foil cell operator jobs, where Pratt then accepted 16 candidates and put them up for training. All 16 candidates passed the course and are now full-time employees.
Sosa completed seven weeks of manufacturing training, compliments of Pratt & Whitney at Asnuntuck Community College. He is currently a Pratt Airfoil Cell Operator earning $28.72 in his hometown. Sosa credited his success to East Hartford High teacher Mrs. Edge, the CCAT team, and his mother (who was in attendance). He spoke to Leduc prior to the presentation and ended the discussion by telling the audience….”I am proud to say that I will work at Pratt & Whitney for the rest of my life.”
United Way Leadership Giving Reception hosted by Pratt & Whitney President Bob Leduc
United Way Leadership Giving Reception hosted by Pratt & Whitney President Bob Leduc