High School Students Learn About Manufacturing Careers at Quinebaug Valley Community College

Students work together to simplify and organize information in a Lean Concepts workshop sponsored by the Fastenal Company.
Students work together to simplify and organize information in a Lean Concepts workshop sponsored by the Fastenal Company.

Danielson, CT– Quinebaug Valley Community College welcomed more than 90 students from 10 area high schools on October 28 for the 7th Annual “Manufacture Your Future” event, held annually as part of Advanced Manufacturing Month.

Students learned about QVCC’s credit, certificate, and degree programs, and met advanced manufacturing staff, instructors and graduates. They also toured the 10,000-square-foot facility and networked with businesses from Eastern Connecticut to explore future opportunities. During workshops, the students learned about robotics, 3D laser scanning and optics, lean and continuous improvement concepts, and programmable logic controllers.

A representative from Foster talks with students about the manufacturing employment opportunities at the company.
A representative from Foster talks with students about the manufacturing employment opportunities at the company.

“’Manufacture Your Future’ is so important for students because it serves as a pipeline for career exploration in the field of advanced manufacturing. From entry level machinists, CNC machine operators, quality assurance inspectors to automation technicians, well-paying jobs are waiting for those graduates,” said Steve LaPointe, director of QVCC’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center. “The need is so great right now that some of our students who just started have already been hired at local companies so they can earn while they learn.”

More than half of the top 100 companies in Connecticut are manufacturers, employing over 168,000 people, according to the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. As a result, CBIA ranks Connecticut second in the nation for high-tech employment and defense contracts and accounts for almost $25 billion in total manufacturing output. “Manufacture Your Future”is a hands-on introduction to advanced manufacturing for high school students. It illustrates how QVCC can help students start a career path in Connecticut’s manufacturing sector, which includes aerospace, biotechnology, power systems, shipbuilding, automation and more.

Justin Stanley, a QVCC manufacturing instructor, gives students an overview of the technology and machinery in the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center.
Justin Stanley, a QVCC manufacturing instructor, gives students an overview of the technology and machinery in the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center.

To learn more about the manufacturing programs available at QVCC, visit: https://qvcc.edu/manufacturing. Spring semester begins January 20. Free college through PACT: Pledge to Advance Connecticut is still available to graduates of Connecticut’s high schools who have never attended college before. Accessing PACT and any financial aid starts with completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at fafsa.gov. PACT is not based on household income; all students who plan on attending full- or part-time should complete the FAFSA so they can access PACT,even if they do not think they will quality for need-based aid.

About CT State

The 12 community colleges in Connecticut are merging on July 1, 2023 to become CT State Community College, one of the largest community colleges in the country and largest in New England, dedicated to quality, access and affordability. CT State students will be able to apply once and take classes at any campus. The application for new students entering in fall 2023 is now open at ctstate.edu/apply. Locations include Asnuntuck (Enfield), Capital (Hartford), Gateway (New Haven and North Haven), Housatonic (Bridgeport), Manchester, Middlesex (Middletown & Meriden), Naugatuck Valley (Waterbury and Danbury), Northwestern (Winsted), Norwalk, Quinebaug Valley (Danielson and Willimantic), Three Rivers (Norwich), and Tunxis (Farmington). Find out more at www.ctstate.edu/becoming.