The Next Gen Manufacturing event hosted at Unimetal and Clocktower Brewery was successful!
Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board is proud to announce a successful evening hosted for local Manufacturers in partnership with UniMetal and Clocktower Brewery in Thomaston, CT. The event took place on March 31, 2022 and featured Connecticut’s Chief Manufacturing Officer, Paul Lavoie, along with over eighty manufacturers throughout the Northwest Region. Attendees were invited on a tour of the Unimetal plant which provides world-class, quality metal finishing and serves aerospace and defense, medical, electronics, telecommunications, and automotive markets. Afterwards business owners and representatives were invited to a reception to learn more about how their influence could affect positive change on the issues manufacturers are facing, by joining our Regional Sector Partnership effort.
Paul Lavoie was appointed CMO on February 3rd, 2022, and has been tasked with growing Connecticut’s manufacturing sector- by coordinating private-sector efforts and optimizing Connecticut’s manufacturing-focused investments and programs. Mr. Lavoie was ready to hear about the issues manufacturers face in our region, such as lack of access to transportation, potential gaps in training and education, and immediate staffing needs.
Evan Berns, President of Northeast Growth Partners, facilitated the conversation at Clocktower Brewery about the action that businesses and their leaders can implement to resolve some of the present issues they face on a collective scale. Evan presented a strategy addressed matters including education, training and development, targeting specific manufacturing markets exclusive to our region. The state’s current pipelines in place are meant to promote manufacturing as an alternative to college, recognizing that it is a high earning and essential industry for those looking to switch careers.
This event was unique in that manufacturing leaders were asked to drive the conversation. Leaders were able to make connections with other like-minded individuals who face the same issues and discuss possible solutions and best practices for their company.
For more information regarding Northwest Regional Sector Partnerships, please contact Ana Goncalves at [email protected] or by phone 203-574-6971 ext. 448.