Naugatuck Valley Community College has been identified as one of 270 community colleges nationally that will receive federal grant support from the Department of Labor. The funding is part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) competitive grant program, which is co-administered by the Department of Labor and Department of Education. The grants will provide community colleges and other eligible institutions of higher education with funds to partner with employers to expand and improve their ability to deliver education and career training programs that will help job seekers get the skills they need for in-demand jobs in industries like information technology, health care, energy, and advanced manufacturing.

NVCC will receive $1,706,025 from this grant as part of a coalition of twelve State Community Colleges. In response to the announcement, President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D., stated, “This is wonderful news for our students and the communities we serve as it would allow us to work with the vocational and technical high schools in support of manufacturing.  Our Danbury campus has experienced continued growth in enrollment, and the grant will allow us to work with Abbott Tech on offering the same Advanced Manufacturing Technology certificate in their Danbury facility that has proven so successful on our Waterbury campus.  The College is in the process of creating a Manufacturing Advisory Council in Danbury, and we look forward to working with industry partners in support of the workforce of today and tomorrow. Also, the grant would allow the college to set up a 'third semester' program at Kaynor Tech in Waterbury to offer incumbent worker training—also in the evening as at Abbott Tech.”

Joseph Defeo, Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center at NVCC, shared the President’s enthusiasm for this opportunity.  “I am extremely excited, as is our President, over the news that we received this federal grant to help with expansion of the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center program. The timing couldn’t be better; I am receiving calls weekly from manufacturing companies in the greater Danbury area who are interested in hiring students from our program. The need for skilled machinists is tremendous. We can now go forward with plans to offer this Advanced Manufacturing Certificate at Abbott Technical High School in Danbury during the evening to meet the needs of area manufacturers.  Also the support will enable us to offer an evening program for the incumbent worker at Kaynor Technical High School which would satisfy the growing needs for skilled workers within the Greater Waterbury manufacturing community."