Young Manufacturers Academy (YMA) program sessions are held at various locations including CCAT, while others are hosted at different Connecticut technical high schools. The students who attended the event at NVCC participated in YMA sessions that were held at EC Goodwin Technical High School and Kaynor Technical High School.

The agenda opened with Cyndi Zoldy, Executive Director at Smaller Manufacturers Association of Connecticut, who reflected on her own personal ties with the State’s local manufacturing industry. Zoldy then welcomed NVCC President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D., who provided welcoming remarks. “Manufacturing offers multiple opportunities,” President De Filippis told the students. She invited them to explore all the possibilities that the College has in helping students gain the skills and knowledge they need to join the manufacturing workforce while in such a pivotal point in their lives.

Students then participated in tours of the College’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center; a career fair, and listened to a keynote delivered  by Jamison Scott, Executive Vice President of Air Handling Systems in Woodbridge. Scott spoke about the manufacturing industry evolving from an atmosphere that was once, “dark, dirty, and dingy,” to facilities that are “lean, green, and clean.”  He went on to address the progress that today’s manufacturing industry has seen, such as the use of augmented reality that he recently observed in use at a local Ansonia manufacturer.

“We have state-of-the-art, advanced schools,” said Scott of the state’s technical schools and colleges as he discussed the multitude of jobs and career opportunities in the industry.

The Young Manufacturers Academy Capstone concluded with a luncheon where students and their parents reflected on the experience.