Chris LaBranche enjoys the precision work he does as a tooling technician at Dymotek.

Chris LaBranche signed up for a career day field trip to get out of classes his senior year in high school. "I had no intentions of going and looking for work or a career," he said.

But the CNC machine and other industrial equipment on display as well as the conversations with machinists and others manufacturing employees caught his attention. Then Asnuntuck Community College staffers told him of the generous scholarships and paid internships available to their manufacturing technology students. By the time he learned of the 90% employment rate for the graduates of the one-year certificate program, LaBranche was set on a manufacturing career.

"That got me hooked right there. I wanted a job right out of school," LaBranche said. He is now a toolmaker for Dymotek Plastic Injection Molding in Ellington, Connecticut.

As an Asnuntuck student, LaBranche became an intern at Dymotek. He worked two eight-hour shifts a week at the plastic injection molding company and took courses at the college three days a week. The college's manufacturing technology program uses curriculum developed by the Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing with the support of the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education program.

During his internship, LaBranche worked alongside the tooling manager who mentored him and taught him the intricacies of maintaining and repairing the metal molds, which cost $200,000 to $500,000. The more he learned the more the work seemed to fit his natural inclinations. "I've always liked working with my hands. I like building stuff. I love working on vehicles, motor sports, stuff like that," LaBranche said.

Since LaBranche completed his certificate in 2013 and became a full time Dymotek employee, the company has paid for him to go to Germany and Austria for a plastics industry conference and additional training at the two companies that make the complex molds that Dymotek uses to make the products it sells in 53 countries.

Dymotek CEO Normand Forest is enthusiastic about growing the company's workforce through its partnership with Asnuntuck. LaBranche's enthusiasm and excellent work have encouraged Forest to take on additional young people through the college's internship program. "They are sponges. It's great to share. It’s a great feeling to put them on the path,” he said of the interns during an employer-employee presentation with LaBranche at the 2014 ATE Principal Investigators Conference in October.

Forest considers the $3,400 the company contributed to the college's scholarship fund for LaBranche and the $12 per hour it paid him during his internship as a good investment in growing the company's human resources. Asnuntuck provided a nearly equivalent amount in scholarships for LaBranche, who had very little out of pocket costs for his certificate. Eventually, LaBranche hopes to use Dymotek's education benefits toward a degree.

To help people get an accurate understanding of modern manufacturing, Dymotek opens its facilities for public tours on Manufacturing Day and is involved in outreach efforts with several higher education institutions and local public schools.

In September, the Hartford Courant and Fox CT chose Dymotek as one of the top 60 workplaces in Connecticut based on employee surveys. The company has nearly doubled in size during the past two years when it hired 60 new associates, including LaBranche.

The 20-year-old LaBranche, who has also been featured in Plastics News, feels fortunate that he "hit it off right" with Forest and others at Dymotek. From the beginning he has been impressed by their integrity and the pride they take in the products they make. He's so excited about his work that he can't help bragging about it to friends. He tells them to look for work with manufacturers who have openings due to retirements and expansion.

"It's crazy how many jobs are open for kids," LaBranche said.