Next Generation Manufacturing Careers Campaign Launched

With more than 7,000 manufacturing job openings and an aging workforce, Connecticut is betting on a new marketing campaign to convince the next generation that a career on the shop floor is worth pursuing.

The Department of Economic and Community Development’s Office of Manufacturing this week launched “I Can Make It,” a statewide awareness campaign aimed at middle schoolers, high schoolers, and young adults who might otherwise overlook manufacturing as a career path.

The campaign targets one of the industry’s most persistent problems: who is going to build things once the current workforce retires.

For manufacturers across the state, the timing is not incidental.

Connecticut’s aging manufacturing workforce has been a slow-building concern for years, as skilled tradespeople near retirement age faster than new workers are trained to replace them.

Combined with a labor shortage that has left thousands of positions unfilled, the gap threatens to slow growth for an industry that remains central to the state’s economy.

Highlighted Sectors

“Connecticut has long been recognized as a leader in advanced manufacturing, and the future of that success depends on young people recognizing the incredible, technology-driven careers in manufacturing available right here in our state,” said chief manufacturing officer Kirti Patel.

The campaign builds on the state’s earlier “I Got It Made” effort and leans heavily on video content—three 30-second spots and a longer campaign film—shot on location at manufacturing facilities and technical high schools around the state.

The campaign represents an effort to help address an issue that has hampered growth for years.

The videos spotlight sectors like aerospace, robotics and automation, and shipbuilding, aiming to reframe manufacturing away from outdated assumptions and toward today’s technology driven work.

The material will run across streaming television, digital advertising, and social platforms, alongside a dedicated campaign website and targeted community outreach.

For manufacturers, the campaign represents an effort to help feed the talent pipeline and address an issue that has hampered growth for years.

Growth Constraint

Executives at companies already involved in the effort say the workforce shortage has become one of the biggest constraints on growth.

“Burke Aerospace is proud to support the Connecticut Office of Manufacturing and this initiative to help develop the next generation of manufacturing professionals,” said Burke Aerospace president and CEO Brittany Isherwood.

“As Burke Aerospace continues to grow its workforce, partnerships like this are essential to building a strong pipeline of skilled talent for Connecticut’s manufacturing industry.”

Chris Jewell, president of Collins & Jewell Company, pointed to the state’s Manufacturing Innovation Fund as a companion resource that has already helped smaller manufacturers navigate workforce and capital challenges.

“Partnerships like this are essential to building a strong pipeline of skilled talent.”

Burke Aerospace’s Brittany Isherwood

The Connecticut Technical Education and Career System is also involved, offering manufacturing pathways that let high school students and adult learners earn industry-recognized credentials before they ever apply for a job.

CTECS executive director Dr. Alice Pritchard called the talent pipeline built through those programs essential to keeping the state’s manufacturing base staffed.

For manufacturers watching the state’s open-jobs numbers climb, the campaign won’t close the gap overnight.

But it signals a coordinated attempt to make the case that a modern factory floor looks a lot more like a tech company than many students realize.