Naugatuck Valley Community College President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D., students, faculty, administration and staff hosted executives from Eversource Energy to discuss their continued relationship with the college and plans to recruit outstanding students for jobs that lead to careers in the field of energy. Thursday’s meeting was based on an Industry Sector Summit held in May 2018 at Eversource’s Berlin, CT campus. The May summit was part of a series held by NVCC to bring together business and academia to establish a forum for the development of relevant curriculum that serves the needs of the employers in NVCC’s service area and prepares students to become successful professionals with rewarding careers.

In her welcoming remarks, President De Filippis, emphasized the College’s commitment to ensuring NVCC’s programs and curricula are responsive to community needs. Professor Kristen Dagan-McGee gave an overview of the Electrical Engineering Technology (EET) Program explaining how the programs ABET accreditation is the “seal of quality” that guarantees NVCC students are ready for the job.

Two NVCC students from the EET program participated in the meeting. Joshua Rapisarda and Jordan Schug both agreed at NVCC “the teachers make this degree.” Rapisarda is a 2017 graduate of Wolcott High School who was inspired to major in EET by a scholarship he received from Eversource. He noted that he had chosen NVCC because both his parents were graduates of the College and he was attracted by the value.  “I would tell students considering college to look at NVCC. Trust the faculty and keep in touch with them.” Schug entered NVCC as a Math major who was influenced by the opportunities at Eversource. “Besides a good salary, they offer room to grow and tuition reimbursement.” He plans to continue his education for a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering. 

Bob Coates, Eversource V.P. of Substations and Field Engineering, gave an overview of the energy company’s hiring needs. “We need safe, reliable people with a strong work ethic,  who have the foundational skills and desire to learn. Our industry is unique because we have infrastructure built from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s and new infrastructure with new technologies.”

Lisa Dresdner, Ph.D., Dean of Academic Affairs, addressed the meeting by sharing the challenges that NVCC faces in this program. Recruiting and retaining students, obtaining scholarships and internships for incentives are some of the challenges on which the College seeks to collaborate with Eversource as a partner.

The group discussion shifted to the need for a certificate program that teaches industry skills and whets the appetite for the industry by allowing hands-on experience and reduces the time it takes for a student to be job-ready.  The College will follow up on meetings to develop curriculum for a certificate program. Using the information shared at this meeting, NVCC keeps current with industry needs in order to supply the industry with a pipeline of workers who have the technical knowledge and skills necessary for success.

NVCC’s EET program focuses on the study of electronic circuits. Students learn both the theory of circuit applications and gain "hands-on" experience by using electronic instruments, microprocessors and computers. Students graduating from the program receive an associates in EET and may begin working in the field upon graduation. The degree also allows students to transfer to the four-year school of their choice to pursue a bachelor's degree in either Electrical Engineering or Electronic Technology. The program is accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET. For more information visit nv.edu/eet.