Connecticut Public Television’s (CPTV) film crew assembled yesterday morning at CCAT’s Advanced Manufacturing Center (AMC) for a new series called “Life Lessons: New Collar Careers.” The series centers around pathways to success in advanced manufacturing as students seek meaningful career opportunities in the field and employers try to build their workforce for the future. With skyrocketing college tuition costs impacting decision-making for parents and high school students, this program will highlight how companies are enticing younger employees with benefits like tuition reimbursement to fill employment gaps and gear up staffing for the industry of the future.
The crew came by the AMC to help showcase the 18 -hour Machining Applications Course facilitated by CCAT’s Manufacturing Applications Engineer John Von Roemer. The course is part of the hands-on training component in the Knowledge 2 Careers Academy, a partnership between KRA corporation and CCAT, that aligns with the CCAT Pre-Apprenticeship Tooling U modules for 18-24 year olds. KRA focuses around students that have been disconnected from school and work and are in need of career guidance and support to determine their next step. This program assists in reconnecting them with education and an entry level job in manufacturing based on their skills. CCAT provides aptitude assessment for math, reading, and mechanical competencies, 72 hours of on- line manufacturing education, 18 hours of hands-on machining applications training at our Advanced Manufacturing Center, and employer tours/interviews/placements and has made 13 manufacturing job placements to date. The program also offers youth career exploration opportunities related to manufacturing, job readiness training, and guidance upon placement and retention.
You can join CPTV’s Life Lessons series for a one-hour town hall forum on Pathways to Success in Advanced Manufacturing on Thursday April 18 from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm at the CPTV studios on 1049 Asylum Avenue in Hartford. It is free to the public to register. Panelists will discuss how the manufacturing career path has developed over the years, the effects of race, class, and issues of inclusion on economic opportunity, and how we need a change in mindset to build a pool of skilled, driven talent. CCAT will be featured in the video to be shown that evening. The actual town hall forum will air on April 25 at 8:00 pm on CPTV.
Contact Lynn Raicik at lraicik@ccat.us for details and more information.