WEBVTT

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[WHIRRING]

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[MUSIC PLAYING]

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KAREN WOSCZYNA-BIRCH:
We need more individuals

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to be pursuing manufacturing.

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And we need the next
generation skill

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sets to ensure that we are
internationally competitive.

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INSTRUCTOR: Put a little thumb
screw on there,

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and you can move it
wherever you want it to go.

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KAREN WOSCZYNA-BIRCH:
With ATE funding,

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we're setting an example for
advanced manufacturing programs

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throughout the state.

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I'm the state director for
a college of technology

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that represents all 12 of our
public community colleges.

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Several of them have these
next generation manufacturing

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centers.

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And Asnuntuck Community College
is our lead in that initiative.

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So what's going on here?

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JAMES LOMBELLA: Machining
students all working together.

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It brings this whole
center to life.

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This building is a new
27,000 square foot building.

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It was built in 2017.

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We are the largest
training facility

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for advanced manufacturing
in the state of Connecticut.

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 STUDENT: The first
one I made was a T slot.

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It goes right inside of the machine.

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JAMES LOMBELLA: Students learn

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the theory in the classroom.

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Production floor is
where they actually

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get to get their hands
on things and watch

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their designs come to life.

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MARY BIDWELL: Here at Asnuntuck,
we have three programs we run--

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the machine technology program,
mechatronics robotics, and now

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welding and fabrication.

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KAREN WOSCZYNA-BIRCH:
Asnuntuck is

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the lead for advanced
manufacturing

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throughout the state and
has been instrumental

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in our pursuit and successful
award of National Science

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Foundation funding.

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NSF advanced technological
education grants

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are allowing us to
respond to industry needs

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and work closely with
industry to address workforce

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needs in manufacturing.

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PAUL LAVOIE: We are a economy
in search of a workforce.

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What you working on?

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 PATRICIA CANCHL: Just
putting all the gauges

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into the new system.

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 PAUL LAVOIE: When I was
the general manager at Carey

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Manufacturing, we felt that
it was important for us

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to engage with
community colleges

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to be able to advise and guide
them on exactly what we were

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looking for for the workforce.

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KAREN WOSCZYNA-BIRCH:
Asnuntuck didn't initially

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have technical programs.

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It made sense for me to
really work with Asnuntuck

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and seeing how we
could move the needle

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and really ensure that we were
providing individuals that

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could hit the ground running.

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PATRICIA CANCHL: If I
hadn't had the opportunity

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to go to Asnuntuck,
I don't think

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that I would be at this job.

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A lot of people that start out
usually have zero knowledge.

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But Asnuntuck helped me in
preparing to run the machines

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and eventually work my way
through the engineering

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department into quality.

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PAUL LAVOIE: We really look
at the community colleges

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as being an integral part of
making sure that manufacturers

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are going to have the trained
and skilled workforce that we

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need.

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PATRICIA CANCHL: I didn't
know that this was possible.

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I really like working here.

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KAREN WOSCZYNA-BIRCH: So
that's where you actually

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have the 3D printing going on.

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DHRUMIL SHAH: When I
joined community college,

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I did a project designing a
3D printed prosthetic arm.

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And that's really what got me
involved in CAD modeling, 3D

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printing, and engineering.

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ANTHONY TOURNAUD:
I took a chance

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and went to community college.

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And immediately I
fell in love with it.

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I found that all the classes
were applicable to the job

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that I was going to be
hunting in less than a year.

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It changed my life.

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It gave me everything
that I have today.

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DHRUMIL SHAH: I'm a mechanical
engineer at General Dynamics

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Electric Boat.

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ANTHONY TOURNAUD: I am
the product specialist

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for Tsugami/Rem sales out
of Windsor, Connecticut.

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JAMES LOMBELLA:
Measure five points.

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That's good.

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TAYLOR PROCTOR: Manufacturing's
never going to go away.

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It's so important
in our world today.

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1,000.

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STUDENT: About the same.

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TAYLOR PROCTOR:
And I always wanted

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to do something that
I could feel proud of.

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JAMES LOMBELLA: We're
seeing the perception

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of manufacturing change.

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These are careers,
not just jobs.

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KAREN WOSCZYNA-BIRCH: And a
personal passion of mine also

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is diversity and equity.

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TAYLOR PROCTOR: You're
seeing every nationality

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here and males and females.

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JAMES LOMBELLA: And as quick
as we can train students,

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they're getting jobs out there.

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Using the ATE
funding, we've been

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able to really
leverage and build

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what you see here but
take it across the state

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and throughout the nation.

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KAREN WOSCZYNA-BIRCH: Hi.

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Good to see everybody.

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How you doing?

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JAMES LOMBELLA:
Good to see you.

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 Great.

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JAMES LOMBELLA: Karen,
tell us a little bit

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about using the ATE funding
to help educate educators.

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KAREN WOSCZYNA-BIRCH:
So this is principals.

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This is superintendents.

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Often they don't
have a real handle

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on what advanced
manufacturing is about.

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So-- when I wrote my
first ATE project grant,

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it was not actually awarded.

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Any of us that have
been in the grant world

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know how just
discouraging that is.

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And you think, that's it.

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I'm throwing in the towel.

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But you just give
it a few weeks.

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And you go, what the heck?

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We're going to resubmit.

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It wouldn't have happened
without that funding.

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The second time around,
it was successful.

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We've had several
rounds of funding.

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And about a year ago, we were
awarded the National Center

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for Next Generation
Manufacturing.

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MARY BIDWELL: Funding allows
professional development

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for instructors.

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KAREN WOSCZYNA-BIRCH:
Our faculty

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have been able to work
hand in hand with industry.

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MARY BIDWELL: That
allows us to make sure

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that the curriculum
we need to design

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is meeting industry demand.

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KAREN WOSCZYNA-BIRCH:
It's providing internships

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for students and
industry driven projects.

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We also have been fortunate
to receive funding

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for international
travel, which is

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often unheard of at a
community college level.

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JAMES LOMBELLA: So it really
has been a wonderful growth

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opportunity and partnership
with the National Science

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Foundation.

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KAREN WOSCZYNA-BIRCH:
For me, it's

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been extremely rewarding to
be able to see the difference

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that we've been able to make not
only changes lives, but changes

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generations to come.

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I never thought I would been
able to accomplish what I have.

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So I think when you
step back, and you

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see that type of impact, you
know it was all worth it.

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It was all worthwhile.