Grant could boost jobs

Written by Donald Eng
Wednesday, 08 February 2012 14:39

High school students will soon have another option to continue their education. Housatonic Community College recently received word that the school has qualified for a state grant program to open an advanced manufacturing center.

The total value of the grant is not yet final, but Housatonic is one of four state community colleges that will share $17.8 million in funds. School officials have approved a $6.28-million program that President Anita Gliniecki said is ready for architectural renderings.

"We have the space picked out, and we have drawn up preliminary plans," she said.

The proposed 2,400-square-foot expansion would take place in the school's Lafayette Hall. Plans call for classroom space, a welding shop, an engineering and design studio, a computer lab, and staff offices.

"The center was created not only with current HCC students in mind but with high school students, current workers and career changes," said academic Dean Elizabeth Roop. "It will provide people with the skills they need for employment and careers in today's expanding manufacturing environment."

School officials announced the grant award at a ceremony Friday, attended by college, industry and municipal leaders, including Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch, state Rep. Tony Hwang, state Sen. Edwin Gomes, and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal.

Hwang, whom school officials credited for rallying 18 state legislators around the program, said the grant funds were part of a bipartisan effort.

"This grant is a giant step toward our ultimate goal of helping people find jobs," Hwang said. "The winners here are our community, our educators and our businesses."

Gomes, who represents a district that includes Housatonic, said the college receives support from both sides of the aisle.

"Housatonic is a project everybody supports because of the success its programs have had over the years," he said.

Roop touted recent state numbers that showed manufacturing in Connecticut is on the rise, even while the state economy remains sluggish.

"Manufacturing has shown growth for 30 straight months," she said.

Kris Lorch, president of Bridgeport-based Alloy Engineering, said the center would help her business. She referred to the state's technical high schools as a pipeline for qualified employees, and said the college-level programs would provide a "steady flow of candidates for jobs with my company, while providing my employees with a place to go for hands-on training."

Finch referred to Bridgeport's history as a manufacturing city, calling it "critically important" to the city's future.

"Manufacturing is the only industry where you take raw materials and turn them into high-value products," he said. "The knowledge and creativity that will come from this program is something you can't put a price on."

The grant comes from House Bill 6801, an Act Promoting Economic Growth and Job Creation. The bill, passed last year, included $17.8 million to create manufacturing centers at four community colleges. The schools then submitted proposals, with the four most promising sharing the funds. In addition to Housatonic, Asnuntuck, Quinebaug and Naugatuck Valley community colleges, located in Enfield, Danielson and Naugatuck, will share in the grant.

Trumbull resident Paul Timanelli, president of the Bridgeport Regional Business Council, called the manufacturing center a small step toward making the country more competitive in a global economy.

"In China, there are 1.6 million students in college-level engineering programs," he said. "In the U.S., it's 36,000."

Similarly, 1.6 million Chinese students are studying English at the high school level, while only about 16,000 American students are learning Chinese.

"The numbers are startling," he said.

And if Housatonic's programs make the United States more competitive around the world, Blumenthal said, the school could also be a leader in this country.

"I brag about this college when I'm in Washington," he said. "This is truly a national model."

The idea for the three new manufacturing centers was spurred by the success of Asnuntuck Community College's successful Manufacturing Technology Center in Enfield. Also included in the jobs bill package is $2.2 million in bonding authorization to expand Asnuntuck's precision manufacturing program. More than 1,000 students have graduated from Asnuntuck's technology programs and have transitioned to the private sector with the technological abilities that benefit local industry.