News and Events

"The region is already at the epicenter of efforts to train young adults for jobs in the booming manufacturing industry. The Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board’s Manufacturing Pipeline program has been recognized as a national model for recruiting unemployed or underemployed workers who don’t necessarily have experience in the field."

Eastern CT Workforce Investment Board (EWIB), CT NAACP State Conference, and Eastern Advanced Manufacturing Alliance Regional Sector Partnership (EAMA RSP) announcing a partnership to marry the Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative & One Million Jobs Campaign to expand equitable career opportunities & grow the manufacturing talent pool.

A video of Rep. Courtney speaking on the House floor about the momentum in the submarine industrial base providing recognition to the MPI and kudos to EWIB for creating a “national example of workforce training programs.”

Showcases the Youth Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative (YMPI) from a student’s perspective.

Features an interview with EWIB President Michael Nogelo and states “It's going to continue to be manufacturing and health care driving growth in Southeast and Eastern Connecticut”.

Highlights the Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative, housed at the state’s community colleges and technical high schools, assisting Electric Boat in its efforts onboarding thousands of workers to fulfill tens of billions of dollars in new ballistic missile submarine contracts for the U.S.

Features an interview with EWIB President Michael Nogelo and states "Lawmakers say fueling this growth is the Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative" (MPI).

A video of Rep. Courtney speaking on the House floor about the A Stronger Workforce for America (ASWA) Act to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), and about the MPI.

Discusses passage by the House of the ASWA, mentions EWIB and the MPI, and quotes EWIB President Nogelo.

Announcing the award of the CT Dept. of Labor's (CTDOL's) application for a USDOL Equitable Transition Models Demonstration Grant. EWIB will partner with CTDOL to build on EWIB best practices to develop innovative activities that increase career development services, work-based learning opportunities, and employment for marginalized youth and young adults with disabilities.

Features Rep. Courtney discussing the demand for submarines and highlighting the MPI as a national model for recruiting unemployed or underemployed workers with no prior manufacturing experience.

Op-ed by EASTCONN Executive Director (and EWIB Board member) Eric Protulis and Director of Adult & Community Programs Kristin Hempel (2/21/24), "For youth, CT's Quiet Corner is becoming the Forgotten Corner" cites EWIB's youth pipeline programs and Summer Youth Employment Program for their effectiveness serving at-risk and disconnected youth. The op-ed urges State lawmakers to increase funding for these and other programs that increase youth employment and engagement. EWIB President/CEO Michael Nogelo is quoted saying, Investments in programs that engage opportunity youth in career pathways provide a positive return for our young people, our employers and economy, and our communities.

A video of Rep. Courtney speaking on the House floor about the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act and efforts by EWIB's Eastern Advanced Manufacturing Alliance (EAMA) RSP and EAMA RSP member Westminster Tool to advocate for the restoration of the historic tax treatment of research & development investments under the bill.

"The "secret weapon" in EB's hiring are career pipelines, including the Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative."

More Bipartisan Wins highlights the advancement of two workforce bills. Federal resources through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) have fueled the success of EWIB's Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative. The bipartisan Stronger Workforce for America Act (ASWA) and the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act advanced this week would expand training opportunities to more learners and ensure employers can access high-quality candidates for years to come. This newsletter followed the Congressman's earlier press release highlighting the draft legislation and quoting EWIB President Michael Nogelo describing the Committee's passage of the ASWA bill as an important first step toward updating our nation's primary...

Profiles EWIB Board Member Courtney Murphy, highlighting her leadership in Electric Boat's growth and the vital role the MPI has played in enabling that growth.

Reports on EWIB scaling up the Youth Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative (YMPI) to encourage more high school students to learn manufacturing skills. Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-2) is quoted as saying of the YMPI, “This thing is really going to percolate into the other high schools. They’ve got to make this generational. They’re going into the elementary and middle schools, too.”

Givens Louis-Jean, a participant in Connecticut's Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative, trains for a well-paying job. This program, funded by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, aims to fill the nation's skills gap. However, the program's effectiveness is debated, as lawmakers grapple with reauthorization amid a tight labor market and economic shifts.

While commemorating National Manufacturing Month, I realized something special was happening in Connecticut while sitting in on a class at Grasso Tech in Groton. I was there to talk to students enrolled in the Eastern Connecticut Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative, a program that has trained and placed over 4,000 people in jobs that pay well over minimum wage since 2016.

The state of Connecticut has implemented a manufacturing pipeline program to train adults for roles in mechanics, machining, welding, and other skilled trades. The program has seen success with participants securing jobs after completion.

Data obtained from the Eastern Workforce Investment Board - which oversees eastern Connecticut's primary manufacturing pipeline - indicate that just one in 10 workers who come through the pipeline end up at a local manufacturer. The rest go to EB.

"Osten said she's seen firsthand the impact of the Eastern CT Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative, run by the Eastern Workforce Investment Board Partnership, which provides no-cost training to address the hiring needs of Electric Boat and other manufacturers in that region.

"The CT Youth Employment Program is an Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board offering that EASTCONN, a nonprofit regional educational service center, conducts in partnership with New London Youth Affairs and Norwich Youth & Family Services to offer jobs to Eastern Connecticut participants between ages 14 and 24."

High school students get opportunity to pursue trades in the classroom.

Rep. Joe Courtney (D-2nd District) explains how Electric Boat in Groton will be involved in a new international deal to build Australia’s first nuclear powered submarines, and the efforts to train and recruit thousands of people to do the work.

With EB's high hiring demands this year, the Eastern Workforce Investment Board will offer more programs this year, not just for EB, but for all the manufacturers in the area.

The MPI has trained and placed more than 1,000 workers at EB and hundreds more at EB's local suppliers.

"The Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board announced Tuesday that its board has unanimously appointed Michael Nogelo as president and CEO, following a search process that ended in late 2022."

"...the Eastern Workforce Investment Board's expansion of the Youth Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative [...] now trying to spark interest in middle school-aged students."

"...submarine work is now on the upswing once again, and Eastern Connecticut — a region with 41 towns and a population of roughly 435,000 — is steadying for the boom."

"CareerConneCT was modeled after the Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative from Franklin-based Eastern Workforce Investment Board, which is being granted $7.85 million, and is expected to have a similar economic impact."