Manufacturers are one of the most sought-after workers in Connecticut. Recently, there were 22,000 job openings for manufacturers in Connecticut, making it the fourth largest hiring sector in the state.

How is it made? How does this work? Also, this doesn't work, how can it get repaired? Precision machining, new technologies, aerospace to energy, and a gamut of industries in between — skilled people are needed who can apply intelligence to help make the world run. Biotechnology. Fuel cells. Defense industry technologies. Medical devices. Innovations and patented processes. Did you know that career opportunities in manufacturing can pay 25% to 50% higher than non-manufacturing jobs? And new pathways in manufacturing careers include 3-D printing, robotics, nanomanufacturing and many others. The challenge is a perception, the outdated image of manufacturing as a shop with open windows, clattering machines. You'd be surprised.

In Connecticut, manufacturing accounts for $28.01 (2017) billion in total manufacturing output, according to National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).

Industries across Connecticut range from jet aircraft engines and helicopters to hydrogen fuel cells to signal processing and navigational tools to power systems. Here's an opportunity to go see and ask questions of a sampling of these careers.

The 9th annual Waterbury Regional Chamber’s 2019 STEM/Advanced Manufacturing & Technology Expo, is Friday, Nov. 1, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Naugatuck Valley Community College (NVCC) Technology Hall Atrium, 750 Chase Parkway, Waterbury. More than 500 students from middle and high schools in Greater Waterbury are expected to attend. The event is free and open to the public.

The 2019 Expo is supported by Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology Inc.; Copper Sponsor, Schaeffler Aerospace USA Corp.; ASML, Braxton Manufacturing Co. Inc., King Industries Inc. and The Platt Brothers & Co.; Arthur G. Russell Co., Click Bond, Hubbard-Hall Inc., Industrial Management & Training Institute, Next Generation Manufacturing, Prospect Machine Products and Ward Leonard CT LLC.

With support from NVCC and the Smaller Manufacturers Association (SMA), students will also interact with local and state manufacturing and technology executives, as well as tour NVCC’s Advanced Manufacturing & Technology Center to learn about job and career opportunities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) industries.

“Manufacturers in Connecticut account for 10.74% of the total output in the state, employing 9.49% of the workforce. Total output from manufacturing was $28.01 billion in 2017. In addition, there were an average of 160.32 thousand manufacturing employees in Connecticut in 2018, with an average annual compensation of $96,279.43 in 2017.” — 2019, National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)

Also featured will be the activity Smart Manufacturing, The Comic Book, created by the Manufacturing Institute and MFG Day in partnership with Rockwell Automation and PTC Inc. A downloadable app, SmartMFG, will bring pages from the comic book to life before the student’s eyes. Laid out for the students to flip through, the comic book depicts product design, retooling of a factory floor, and repair to a robot that has unexpectedly shut down. With SmartMFG, the students point their device’s camera at a target image in the comic book and the app animates the pages using augmented reality to allow the students to design, manufacture, and test a flying drone.

In addition to augmented reality apps, CCAT’s Interactive Zone showcases videos from the “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing Video Competition,” a Manufacturing Institute national best practice model designed to promote industry partnerships and introduce young people to today’s manufacturing workplace and future careers. Featuring videos from students around the state that participated in the competition during the 2018-19 school year, the students attending will be able to watch these schools engage with Connecticut manufacturers and talk about their experiences. For information call 203-757-0701 or visit www.waterburychamber.com.

In related news, Governor Charlie Baker, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Kathleen Theoharides, and Stephen Pike, CEO of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, joined officials from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy to launch the first-in-the-nation offshore wind crew transfer training facility Oct. 24. The group of state and college representatives officially christened the training vessel as part of the 2nd Annual Massachusetts STEM Week.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates 43,000 new jobs will be created in the offshore wind market by 2030. The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center recently published an assessment of jobs and economic impacts associated with development of 1,600 megawatts in Massachusetts. That study estimated that over the next decade, offshore wind farms will create 2,000 to 3,000 jobs and generate economic impacts between $1-$2 billion in the region.

The training facility, which received a total of $1.73 million from the Administration and Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), will provide education, training and certification to thousands of residents, including Mass Maritime cadets, as well as skilled labor including electricians, pile drivers, divers and welders, enabling them to work in the emerging offshore wind industry. The training facility represents a significant investment by the Commonwealth to grow a workforce for the offshore wind industry, which will support the construction and operation of Vineyard Wind’s 800-megawatt project, which was selected by the Commonwealth’s Electric District Companies in May 2018 under the state’s first competitive procurement for offshore wind.

“As Massachusetts heads toward building the first large scale offshore wind project in the nation, we are pleased that Massachusetts Maritime Academy will be home to this first-in-the-nation training facility,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “With important training infrastructure like this crew transfer facility, thousands of students and trade workers will gain the skills and knowledge necessary to be a part of the growing sector of Massachusetts’ nation-leading clean energy industry and can take advantage of the highly-skilled jobs created by this emerging industry.”

“Offshore wind is a crucial part of our administration’s climate strategy, and it is vital that we have a skilled workforce ready for jobs that will bring new opportunities to many residents in the Commonwealth,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “We are grateful to Massachusetts Maritime Academy for their partnership in its development of this training facility and its continued collaboration to ensure Massachusetts workers have the necessary certifications, credentials and safety training to build these projects and lead us to a clean energy future.”

The project is a partnership between Mass Maritime, state government and industry, including Vineyard Wind. Prior to today’s opening of the Mass Maritime training facility, there was no other organization in the United States accredited to provide a full safety training program required for workers in offshore wind. The offshore wind training facility provides critical infrastructure that will give both college students and adults seeking new careers the necessary skills and certification to work in the emerging industry.

MassCEC awarded Mass Martime an initial $50,000 grant for a feasibility study related to the construction of this facility, which was followed by a $500,000 grant in 2017 to support the construction of the crew transfer training facility and vessel. In May, through MassCEC’s Offshore Wind Workforce program, Mass Maritime received $184,000 to establish all five modules of the Global Wind Organization’s basic safety training and to develop an “Introduction to Offshore Wind” course for Mass Maritime students. Mass Maritime also received a $1 million grant from the Seaport Economic Council in 2017 to support the construction of the facility’s pier.

In total, Massachusetts Maritime Academy received more than $1.73 million in grants from the Baker-Polito Administration and MassCEC to support the development of its first-in-the-nation facility and basic safety program.

“Offshore wind is vital to the Baker-Polito Administration’s efforts to reduce the Commonwealth’s greenhouse gas emissions and provide residents with clean, reliable energy,” said Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Kathleen Theoharides. “By partnering with local academic institutions like Mass Maritime, we are able to support essential training facilities that will help position the Commonwealth has a hub for this emerging industry and ensure Massachusetts workers can take advantage of new local jobs.

“Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a unique institution with a long history of preparing students for the jobs of the future. It is now poised to educate both students and adults for highly-skilled jobs in the offshore wind energy industry. We are very excited to see MMA jump into educating Massachusetts residents for these future jobs,” said Secretary of Education James Peyser.

“Massachusetts Maritime Academy has been educating mariners and energy engineers for more than a century, so we are best positioned to support this important initiative for the Commonwealth and the nation,” said President of Massachusetts Maritime Academy Rear Admiral Francis X. McDonald, USMS. “The grants MMA received helped us improve our facilities and create the training that is needed to ensure that graduates and adult learners are ready for the critical jobs in the offshore wind industry.”

“Offshore wind will create thousands of clean energy jobs and our goal is to make sure Massachusetts workers have the specific trainings and certifications necessary to work in this industry and build these major infrastructure projects,” said MassCEC CEO Stephen Pike. “We are pleased to support Mass Maritime on this project as strategic partnerships with our local academic and training institutions are mission critical to developing a workforce ready and able to meet the needs of this emerging industry.”

The crew transfer training facility is a critical component of a comprehensive safety training program to be offered by Mass Maritime. The facility supports safety training for workers moving from relatively small crew transfer vessels to the fixed support structures of wind turbines in the open seas.

Initially, MMA will focus on Basic Safety Training for the offshore wind industry with a course comprised of five modules: First Aid, Manual Handling, Fire Awareness, Working at Heights, and Sea Survival. Some of the training will take place in MMA’s newly constructed indoor climbing facility and on the Crew Transfer Training Facility located on the MMA’s pier in Buzzard’s Bay. Instructors will teach students how to safely transfer from the vessel to an offshore wind turbine. MMA partnered with the largest provider of GWO training in the world, Relyon Nutec, to help train MMA instructors to deliver these courses using GWO-approved and globally recognized curriculum.

About Massachusetts Maritime Academy: MMA is a fully accredited, four-year, co-educational state university offering Bachelor and Master of Science degrees that are highly regarded in the worldwide maritime industry. For more than 100 years, MMA has prepared men and women for exciting and rewarding careers on land and sea. As the nation's finest co-ed maritime college, MMA challenges students to succeed by balancing a unique regimented lifestyle with a typical four-year college environment. The college is located on the mouth of the Cape Cod Canal. About Massachusetts Clean Energy Center: The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) is dedicated to growing the state’s clean energy economy while helping to meet the Commonwealth’s clean energy, climate and economic development goals. Since its inception in 2009, MassCEC has helped clean energy companies grow, supported municipal clean energy projects, and invested in residential and commercial renewable energy installations creating a robust marketplace for innovative clean technology companies and service providers. MassCEC constructed and operates the Wind Technology Testing Center and the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal. Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides chairs MassCEC’s board of directors.