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For Immediate Release
June 30, 2005

CONNECTICUT TEACHERS WORKING IN MANUFACTURING THIS SUMMER
Teachers will learn skills needed to prepare students for the highly technological workforce of tomorrow

Seven Connecticut teachers from technical high schools and community colleges have been selected to participate in the Next Generation Manufacturing externship program this summer. They will learn about manufacturing technologies being used in businesses across the state so they can better understand the skills their students will need to become part of this growing workforce.
The program will give educators practical experience in manufacturing, exposing them to industry practices. The teachers will use this information to create relevant and current curriculum programs for their students, better preparing them for a future in manufacturing.
The program promotes a team concept in teaching and strengthens ties between the community colleges and the technical high schools by bringing teachers together to develop programs collaboratively.
The Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA) is administering the program as the primary business partner of the Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. The center is a National Science Foundation-funded program directed by the Connecticut Community Colleges’ College of Technology.
“Preparing the next generation of workers to meet the expectations of employers in today’s highly technological workforce can be a challenge to educators,” said Lauren Weisberg Kaufman, CBIA vice president and executive director of the association’s Education Foundation. “The cornerstone of a strong, competitive workforce in Connecticut is giving both educators and students opportunities to explore firsthand what is expected in the workplace. With this knowledge, teachers can help their students better prepare for manufacturing careers of the future. This is especially important in manufacturing technology, which is facing a shortage of skilled workers.”
Seven teachers were selected to participate in the four-week summer externship program:

  • Fred D’Angelo, an engineering teacher at Manchester Community College, will work at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft in Middletown. D’Angelo lives in Manchester.
  • Odell Glenn, an engineering and Project Lead the Way teacher at Manchester Community College and Greatpath Magnet School will work at Hamilton Sundstrand in Windsor. Glenn lives in Middletown.
  • John Hoyle, a machine drafting teacher at Cheney Technical High School in Manchester, will work at MTU Aero Engine in Newington. Hoyle lives in Newington.
  • Fred Huhn, a machine drafting instructor at Cheney Technical High School in Manchester, will work at Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford. Huhn lives in Hebron.
  • Peter Poulos, an engineering professor at Manchester Community College, will work at the UConn Photonics Research Lab in Storrs. Poulos lives in Willimantic.
  • Dave Salonia, a Project Lead the Way teacher at Berlin High School, will work at Mechtron Inc. in Southington. Salonia lives in Berlin.
  • Rick Weber, an automated manufacturing teacher at Naugatuck Valley Community College, will work at Branson Ultrasonics in Danbury. Weber lives in Ridgefield.

These teachers were selected for their commitment to self-development and because of their desire to teach their students about manufacturing technology advances, by providing a realistic understanding of skills needed to be successful in the workplace.
Weisberg-Kaufman added, “The educators who participate in these kinds of professional development programs have an opportunity to engage their students in more active learning experiences. By exposing educators to business environments, whether it be through teacher externships, company visits, visiting lecturers or collaborative work-based projects in the classroom, educators are given the opportunity to infuse some excitement into their classes.”
CBIA is the state’s largest business organization, with 10,000 member companies.

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