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CT State Community College (CT State) will celebrate Manufacturing Month this October by engaging students, schools, and the community in a variety of events and activities that showcase the important role of manufacturing and manufacturing training in Connecticut. These events will provide hands-on experiences, highlight career pathways, and foster collaboration with manufacturers across the state.

Throughout October, CT State will participate in and host several public and private events, offering students and the public opportunities to explore the manufacturing sector firsthand. These include:

  • Aerospace Manufacturer Visits: CT State students from multiple campuses will tour aerospace manufacturers Barnes Aerospace, Kaman, TRUMPF, and Phoenix Manufacturing. These visits offer students a firsthand look at career opportunities in Connecticut’s aerospace industry.
  • Manufacturing Awareness Events: At CT State’s Housatonic, Manchester, Naugatuck Valley, and Quinebaug Valley campuses, students will participate in hands-on activities, technology showcases, and panel discussions aimed at increasing awareness of manufacturing careers. The events will also feature tours of campus facilities and mini-boot camps for middle and high school students.
  • Made in Connecticut Manufacturing Bus Tour: On October 17, CT State Housatonic will serve as a stop on the week-long statewide "Made in Connecticut" tour, welcoming business leaders and Paul Lavoie, Connecticut's chief manufacturing officer, to see its new manufacturing lab space.
  • Connecticut Manufacturing Summit and Trade Shows: CT State students and faculty will take part in the Connecticut Manufacturing Summit and various trade shows, offering networking opportunities and insight from leading manufacturers.

These activities are part of CT State’s broader efforts to emphasize the importance of manufacturing in Connecticut’s economy and expose students to the wide range of career opportunities available.

“Manufacturing Month provides an excellent opportunity for us to showcase our hands-on training programs that prepare students for fulfilling careers with family-sustaining wages,” said CT State President O. John Maduko, M.D. “Through these events, we’re proud to share information, career opportunities and highlight how our faculty, alongside industry experts, help students gain the skills and experience needed to thrive in this vital sector."

As Connecticut’s leading institution for manufacturing education and the largest producer of manufacturing graduates in the state, CT State trains more than 2,400 students annually in state-of-the-art facilities across 11 locations statewide. Students can choose from 50 credit and noncredit programs in machining, mechatronics and robotics, precision manufacturing, welding and fabrication, plastics, and manufacturing engineering technology. Some certificates can be completed in as little as six weeks, with more than 90 percent of students securing jobs upon graduating.   

Many of these programs offer stackable credentials and allow students to transfer as juniors to Central Connecticut State University through the Connecticut College of Technology (COT) initiative. COT, a consortium of CT State campuses and eight public and private universities, was formed through Connecticut legislation to establish seamless pathways in engineering and technology fields.

CT State maintains strong ties with regional manufacturers and Connecticut workforce partners to ensure that its programs align with industry needs. Notable partners include Barnes Aerospace, General Dynamics Electric Boat, Lockheed Martin-Sikorsky, and Pratt & Whitney.

CT State will also host fall open house events for those interested in learning more about its campuses. For more information on CT State’s advanced manufacturing technology programs, visit ctstate.edu/engineering-technology.