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CBIA RECEIVES $1.77 MILLION MANUFACTURING JOB TRAINING GRANT The Connecticut Business & Industry Association today received a $1.77 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to help train Connecticut workers in manufacturing jobs. CBIA is one of 11 organizations in 10 states selected from more than 186 applicants seeking nearly $17 million in grants for advanced manufacturing job training under the President’s High Growth Job Training Initiative. "Manufacturing continues to be one of Connecticut’s greatest economic strengths, but a shortage of skilled workers to fill open positions has been a major challenge,” said Judith Resnick, CBIA director of workforce development and training, and the deputy director of the association’s Education Foundation. “This grant will help Connecticut continue to have a world-class workforce, and it will help provide manufacturers with the skilled workers they need to remain competitive and continue to grow in today’s global economy.” Manufacturing is one of Connecticut’s most powerful economic strengths. More than half of the top 100 companies headquartered in the state are manufacturing firms. There are nearly 5,300 manufacturing firms here that, together, directly employ almost 200,000 workers, generate $11.1 billion in wages and salaries, and produce over $20 billion of the gross state product. Each new manufacturing position creates between 1.2 and five additional jobs in the state, and manufacturers purchase more than $10 billion per year in goods and services from other Connecticut businesses. The grant will be used to establish a certificate program within the state’s community college system focusing on lean manufacturing and supply chain management. It will also be used to create advanced machining training using simulation. The focus will be on training incumbent and dislocated workers and college students. CBIA will administer the grant in partnership with Aerospace Components Manufacturers; the Metal Manufacturers Cluster Initiative; RENEW in Mass.; the Connecticut Community College System and its College of Technology and Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing; the Workforce Alliance; the Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board; Capital Workforce Partners; the Workplace Inc.; the Regional Employment Board of Hamden County Inc., in Mass.; the Connecticut Departments of Labor and Economic and Community Development. "Together, we can help Connecticut’s manufacturers remain healthy and competitive with a highly skilled workforce needed to navigate the increasing demands of a growing global marketplace,” said Resnick. The program is expected to begin in Jan. 2007. ### CBIA is the state’s largest business organization, with 10,000 member companies. The President's High Growth Job Training Initiative is a strategic effort to prepare workers to take advantage of new job opportunities in high growth sectors of the American economy. Through executive forums with leaders of expanding industries, critical workforce gaps and issues are identified. Regional solutions are chosen through competitions that involve area employers, educational institutions and the public workforce system. For more information contact Nancy Andrews, CBIA media relations manager, at 860-244-1957 or andrewsn@cbia.com. 350 Church
Street · Hartford, CT 06103-1126 · cbia.com/newsroom
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