The first class of students enrolled in Housatonic Community College”™s new manufacturing program earned their certificates last week and are now entering Connecticut”™s workforce.
About 30 students completed the program”™s basic certificate program in January and 18 have now earned an advanced certification.
“It was very challenging, but for a first-year program it went exceptionally well,” said Michael Gugger, program director of HCC”™s Advanced Manufacturing Center. “It”™s all very exciting and so far, pretty successful.”
About 10 of the program graduates have secured jobs so far and six are in the hiring process.
The college”™s new program is a part of a statewide effort stemming from Gov. Dannel P. Malloy”™s 2011 jobs bill that seeks to prepare workers for manufacturing job openings that demand skilled employees. In Bridgeport alone, HCC estimates there are more than 750 manufacturing job openings.
Last year Malloy allocated roughly $18 million to HCC and two other community colleges to design and implement the programs.
Through HCC”™s basic and advanced manufacturing certificates, students relearn basic math and focus their attention on how to read blueprints and work with machinery and related computer programs.
While program administrators are happy with the program”™s design, it did fail to meet an 85 percent graduation rate, as mandated by the state. Roughly 50 students began the two-part program and only 18 completely finished.
“This is a very rigorous program and I don”™t believe the students that entered had a full understanding of the demands,” Gugger said.
The program includes 35 hours of class time a week, plus homework, and many of the students still had full-time jobs or family obligations, he said.
Students are eligible for their basic certification after one semester of studies, and can receive their advanced certification after a second semester.
“I”™m very pleased with our success but we”™re not where I want to be yet,” Gugger said. “We want to get better and better.”
Katherine Saint, president of The Schwerdtle Stamp Co. in Bridgeport, said she was very pleased to see the program come together. She said one of the firm”™s interns who earned his advanced certificate was promoted to a full-time employee.
“The basic foundation they gave him is just working out perfectly,” Saint said, adding that her new employee also had a design background, which makes him well suited for her company. “I keep pinching myself. He enjoys it and it”™s been a good match.”
Saint, a member of HCC”™s Manufacturing Advisory Board, said she”™s been campaigning for a program like this for years as it has become more difficult for her to find skilled employees.
Whereas 30 years ago Schwerdtle could hire people right out of high school after a simple math exam, Saint said it is increasingly hard to find people who can pass that exam now.
Additionally, it”™s difficult to find employees with the necessary soft skills, Saint said, such as being able to work in a team environment and knowing to come to work five minutes early and in steel-toed boots.
“This is a successful class and it”™s just going to get better,” Saint said. “They come out with a really good, basic understanding of how their equipment works and how they”™re expected to act and contribute. ”¦These students will have a good foundation for continued learning.”
