According to the state Department of Labor, nearly 165,000 people in Connecticut were employed in manufacturing in September – a 3.5 percent increase from the previous year. With nearly 10 percent of Connecticut's workforce employed in manufacturing, that number will continue to grow. Electric Boat in Groton, expects to hire between 15,000 and 20,000 new employees by 2030.

Aerospace. Biotechnology. Fuel cells. Defense industry technologies. Medical devices. Innovation and precision machining. 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The challenge is a perception, the outdated image of manufacturing as a shop with open windows, clattering machines.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 almost $25 billion in total manufacturing output.

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. Free and open to the public, the STEM/Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Expo 2018 is Friday, Nov. 30, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Technology Hall, Naugatuck Valley Community College, 750 Chase Parkway, Waterbury. With support from the Waterbury Board of Education, hundreds of middle and high school students will visit to directly engage with local manufacturers and learn about job and career opportunities from area leaders in manufacturing.

Showcasing modern manufacturing and promoting careers in science, technology, engineering and math-related industries is the main goal of the Waterbury Regional Chamber’s Annual STEM/ Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Expo. With the support of schools in the region, more than 400 students from middle schools, high schools and colleges will attend the expo, now in its eighth year.

In addition to providing this year’s venue, Naugatuck Valley Community College (NVCC), led by Daisy Coco De Filippis, NVCC president, and Joseph DeFeo, Advanced Manufacturing Program, will offer insights of NVCC’s Advanced Manufacturing Center and related STEM facilities. The Smaller Manufacturers Association of Connecticut and Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board also support and participate in this event.

Exhibitors have the opportunity to speak directly to students, educators and parents to help dispel the myths about manufacturing that stand as obstacles to attracting future members of the workforce, according to Lynn Ward, president and CEO of the Waterbury Regional Chamber. For information about the event, or getting involved in the next one, call (203) 757-0701, ext. 310; email is lward@waterburychamber.com.

“Lean manufacturing adds value for the customer and helps the environment. Working with CAD software, work with engineers, designers, and supply chain logisticians, coming up with new processes that meet customer standards. Average starting salary: $74,260. Advanced Manufacturing is the path to a growth-oriented career that is hands-on and high-tech. Earn your certificate in less than 10 months, and benefit from a 98% placement rate upon completion. With scholarships and grants, the cost may be as low as $1,000 out of pocket.” – www.ct.edu/makeithere

Eight colleges across Connecticut are part of CSCU Connecticut Advanced Technology Centers.

Asnuntuck Community College
Housatonic Community College
Naugatuck Valley Community College
Quinebaug Valley Community College
Manchester Community College
Middlesex Community College
Three Rivers Community College
Tunxis Community College

This program is (funded by or in-part by) a $15,000,000 Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.

This has grown since Jan. 31, 2012, when the State of Connecticut selected three Connecticut community colleges to receive bonding dollars for a state-of-the-art manufacturing center on campus to meet the state’s manufacturing workforce needs.The Advanced Manufacturing Program enables students to become highly-skilled, hands-on, manufacturing technologists for the 21st century through learning a full range of practical industrial skills that occur throughout a product’s assembly or production process.

And consider this: STEM + Students = Success in Aviation via FAA: “To maintain our country's global leadership in aviation, as well as in other disciplines, today's students must advance their skills in science, technology, education, and math (STEM). STEM is essential to the employment of future generations, and it's the key to a strong economic future. The U.S. Department of Education projects a 14% increase in STEM jobs between 2010-2020.

“The U.S. Department of Commerce states that employees in STEM fields can expect to earn 26% more money on average and will be less likely to experience job loss. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that STEM occupations are projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations. STEM is not only a critical part of a student's success in aviation, but it's also a driving force behind our country's strategic positioning and economic wellbeing. Read about the educational opportunities that are available through the STEM AVSED program.”

Sources: U.S. Department of Education. U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration (PDF STEM jobs report). U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.