NVCC President Daisy Cocco De Filippis noted, “This recognition reflects the good work of our Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center (AMTC) team and its director, Joseph DeFeo, and the NVCC Grants Office, led by Janis Petrillo. The AMTC boasts significant achievements in the development of the region’s manufacturing workforce including, industry certifications, incentive awards, 100% job-placement rates and a record number of women in the Class of 2018.”

Waldemar Kostrzewa, Dean of Community Engagement, will lead the NVCC team organized to compete at the Assembly. Kostrzewa said, “I am honored to coordinate our finalist presentation team. They represent the major state, regional, local, and college partners that have led to AMTC success.”

In addition to Kostrzewa, team members are Catherine Awwad, Executive Director of the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board; Joseph DeFeo, AMTC Director; Waterbury Mayor Neil M. O’Leary, Chair of the NVCC Regional Advisory Council; and Cyndi Zoldy, Executive Director of the Smaller Manufacturers Association of Connecticut.

Over the last six years, NVCC’s AMTC initiatives have made a difference in the manufacturing sector of the state’s economy. In the spring of 2014, the College began to offer the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) certification resulting in an impressive completion rate of 127 credentialed students. By June 2017, NVCC led the way with 162 NIMS certifications, a 27.5% increase. Since the beginning of the NIMS program, 510 NIMS certificates have been issued to the AMTC students from both the Waterbury and Danbury programs.

Celebrating the highest number of certifications out of the seven community colleges in the state system with Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centers, NVCC is again poised to advance the interests of local employers. These nationally recognized, portable, and stackable credentials are often used by manufacturers to identify qualified candidates for employment.

Industry certifications, incentive awards, and excellent job-placement rates are hallmarks of NVCC’s manufacturing center programs. In fall 2017, NVCC added to the list by welcoming a record number of women to the Class of 2018.