Berlin State Rep Supports Expanding Student Education for Manufacturing Industries

HARTFORD, CT - Berlin’s state representative, who’s also the House Majority Leader announced his support of a bill that would create partnerships between the Commissioner of Education and the manufacturing industry as a way to encourage students to consider careers in manufacturing.

Rep. Joe Aresimowicz (D – Berlin/Southington) and House Minority Leader Themis Klarides (R – Derby) jointly testified in support of ‘An Act Encouraging Middle School and High School Students to Consider Careers in Manufacturing.’

The bill would strengthen Connecticut’s workforce development pipeline by making sure the state knows how many trained workers in manufacturing are needed to meet the demands of businesses in the state, as well as how many students in the state are able to train in the industries. There also would be development of an advertising program aimed at attracting middle and high school students to the manufacturing industries.

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“This bill is about making sure we educate parents, guidance counselors and students about the exciting and advantageous careers in manufacturing,” Aresimowicz said in a statement.. “Manufacturing is still associated with the famous images of early 20th century factories, but much of today’s manufacturing is no longer what it was during our childhoods. These are the types of jobs we need more of: high quality, stable, family-supporting jobs.”

The need for qualified workers is a growing issue for manufacturers. According to a 2014 survey published by the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, state manufacturers claim that one of the biggest threats to their business is lack of available talent. The majority of the survey respondents said they plan to grow their businesses in the next five years. The state Department of Labor claims the state has seen a 2.1% growth in manufacturing jobs over the past year, to 161,800 jobs.

“The more we can do to get young people interested in these promising careers the better off Connecticut will be,’’ Klarides said. “Our state has a long tradition of adapting and growing its manufacturing base to meet the needs of the marketplace. This legislation will go a long way toward keeping with that tradition.’’

The proposed bill would establish a program that would partner current workforce training programs with manufacturers to develop a plan for determining out how many slots are available for students to earn the certifications and learn the skills employers need, how many more slots are needed, and to market all of these programs to our students.

Contributed photo: House Majority Leader Joe Aresimowicz, right, and House Minority Leader Themis Klarides jointly testify in support of ‘An Act Encouraging Middle School and High School Students to Consider Careers in Manufacturing,’ at the Legislative Office Building on March 1, 2016.