Wendy Robicheau
Community College Students Study Abroad In ...

Manufacturing Month Activities

National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing

The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing’s (NCNGM) mission is to cultivate and nurture relationships among new partners in collaboration with high school, community college, and university educators, industry, government agencies, National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education (NSF ATE) centers and projects, and other stakeholders interested in further developing to create a diverse technical workforce.

Manufacturing Day and Month:

MFG Day, an initiative of the Manufacturing Institute—the workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers—empowers manufacturers to come together, address their collective challenges, and build excitement about manufacturing careers to help their communities and future generations thrive.

Manufacturing Day is celebrated annually on the first Friday in October, with events continuing throughout the month and beyond. It celebrates modern manufacturing meant to inspire the next generation of manufacturers. These events encourage students to learn skills that apply to employment in the manufacturing industry and beyond.

A comprehensive list of national MFG Day activities is available through the Manufacturing Institute’s MFG Day website:
Manufacturing Month National Events

Register your event as an official MFG Day event:
Manufacturing Month Event Registration

There are millions of new modern manufacturing jobs coming online in the next decade—opportunities to create, contribute and connect. Help us build the future of the industry during MFGDay24!

National MFG Day Month Event List 2024

*This list will be updated as we become aware of newly scheduled events.

September 26th

  •  Manufacturing Roadshow at Dodd Stadium, Norwich - Industry employers will exhibit, and students are encouraged to attend by CBIA. 

October 1st 

October 2nd

  • Connecticut Manufacturing Summit - CT Convention Center, Hartford, Connecticut - This event highlights industry partners who have recently made Connecticut's manufacturing growth and innovation possible. NCNGM Principal Investigator and Director Dr. Karen Wosczyna-Birch will moderate the "Driving Innovation in the Manufacturing Sector" panel. This is a unique opportunity to learn and grow in the manufacturing industry! Open to the public; registration required.

October 3rd

October 4th

  • MB Aerospace/Barnes Industry tour - East Granby, Connecticut

  • Atlas Metal Works, LLC Industry tour - South Windsor, Connecticut

  • Trumpf Industry tour - Farmington, Connecticut

  • College of the Canyons will open the Advanced Technology Center (ATC) to the local Hart High School District from 9:30 am - 3:30 pm. The Hart District will be busing in students every 30-45 minutes so they can walk through the ATC, interact with local manufacturing professionals, and learn about careers in advanced manufacturing. Fifteen local businesses signed up to participate from various backgrounds scattered throughout the facility. Students will have the opportunity to see demos of machines and interact with robotics to help spark their excitement.

  • CT State Community College Manchester (Manchester, CT)

    • Precision Manufacturing Center students will tour Kaman in Bloomfield, CT.

    • Hosting Great Path Academy High School for a day advanced manufacturing boot camp.

October 5th
October 6th

October 7th

October 8th

October 9th

  • Annual Manufacture CT Dinner - Anthony’s Ocean View, New Haven, Connecticut - The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing is proud to be a Silver Sponsor of the 2024 Manufacture CT Annual Celebration Dinner, an anticipated event highlighting Connecticut manufacturers' accomplishments. Join us and other members. Stanley Black & Decker’s Vice President of Business Development, Martin Guay, will be the keynote speaker of this year’s Annual Celebration. Mr. Guay is also Chair of our Board of Regents and has been a partner on initiatives for the NCNGM. Open to the public, registration is required.

October 10th

October 11th

October 12th
October 13th

October 14th

  • CT State Community College Manchester (Manchester, CT) Precision Manufacturing Center is hosting an Information Session and January Cohort enrollment event. The event is open to the public.

October 15th

  •  A possible date for Goodwin Manufacturing Pentathlon - it will be open for students. Keith Sevigny is coordinating.

October 16th

October 17th

  • CT State Community College Asnuntuck (Enfield, Connecticut) is hosting the Advanced Manufacturing Employer Partnership (AMEP) Quarterly Meeting. This meeting will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Approximately 40 employers will attend. The meeting will include an overview of CT State Asnuntuck’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology Programs and tours for participants.

October 18th

  • CT State Community College Manchester (Manchester, CT) will host Synergy High School for an advanced manufacturing boot camp.

  • CT State Manchester has accepted an invitation to ebm-papst in Farmington, CT to celebrate MFG Month—touring and networking with their staff (from various departments) and learning about open opportunities.

October 19th
October 20th

October 21st

  • CT State Community College Manchester (Manchester, CT) Precision Manufacturing Center is hosting an Information Session and January Cohort enrollment event. The event is open to the public.

October 22nd

  • Tour at Decruz, Bristol, CT, with Women in Manufacturing Connecticut.

  • CTC Women of Innovation Awards The 19th annual Women of Innovation event, hosted by the Connecticut Technology Council, celebrates trailblazing women & girls inspiring visionary leadership in scientific research, education, manufacturing & entrepreneurship. Forty-five exceptional Connecticut women will be recognized for their achievements in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). 


October 23rd

October 24th

  • CT State Community College Manchester (Manchester, CT) will host a representative Holo-Krome to speak with Precision Manufacturing Center students as part of their MFG 1479 – Career Awareness in Manufacturing course.

October 25th

October 26th
October 27th

October 28th

  • CT State Community College Manchester (Manchester, CT) Precision Manufacturing Center is hosting an Information Session and January Cohort enrollment event. The event is open to the public.

October 29th
October 30th

October 31st 

  • Aerospace Alley Future Workforce Opportunities Fair and Tradeow - Connecticut Convention Center, Hartford, CT. CT State Community College Advanced Manufacturing Coordinators will table at the event to educate local high schools and middle school students about the many career opportunities in aerospace manufacturing. Over 1000 students have attended in previous years. CT State Community College campuses Asnuntuck and Manchester will be exhibitors. This event allows CT State students, instructors, and staff to network with area companies for internships, job placement, and potential tours/guest speakers for our Career Awareness in Manufacturing class. It is a great networking event for all who attend. Open to the public; registration required.

November 1st

  • 2024 STEM/Advanced Manufacturing and Technology and Technology Expo - CT State Community College Naugatuck Valley, Waterbury Campus. The Waterbury Board of Education will support hundreds of middle and high school students visiting the EXPO to directly engage with local manufacturers and learn about job and career opportunities from area manufacturing leaders.

November 6th

Multi-Day Events: 

  • October 14 - 18: Paul Lavoie, Connecticut’s Chief Manufacturing Officer does industry bus tours through Connecticut.

Dates to be Determined:

NCNGM sponsoring the NCATC 2024 Conference

National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing is proud to be a Gold Sponsor for the NCATC 2024 Conference. The National Coalition of Advanced Technology Centers (NCATC) is an Affiliated Council of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) catalyzing a network of higher education and industry-led Strategic Partner resources that advocates, advises, and promotes the use of advanced technology applications to enhance economic and workforce development programs and services.

If you are attending, be sure to stop by our booth in the exhibitors’ section and attend our Breakout Session, “Preparing the Future Advanced Manufacturing Workforce: Initiatives & Resources for Educators & Students,” presented by Karen Wosczyna-Birch, Executive Director & PI, National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing and Tim Baber, Co-PI, National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing.

Conference Information & Registration

Community College Students Study Abroad In France

Vice President of International Relations, Dr. Francois Pierrot, with 12 international students, including Lissie Flores Egusquiza from CT State Tunxis.

The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing, funded by the National Science Foundation, and the French Embassy have a long history of sponsoring French study abroad opportunities for community college students. This program is vital to producing well-rounded students who have a greater understanding of their work's impact on a global scale and providing equitable opportunities that aren’t often the norm in community college education.

Maha Jeffri from CT State Tunxis and Rebecca Giarnese from CT State Northwestern with their peers touring the scenic sights.

Connecticut State Community College (CT State) students embarked on a unique journey with the Cultural Services study abroad boot camps this summer. These programs, offered by the Cultural Services division of the French Embassy in the United States, provide many opportunities for students and professionals interested in studying in France. This year, our students had the chance to attend various boot camps, each offering a distinct experience: Some Like it Sustainable, located at Université de Montpellier in Montepellier; Sustainable Engineering at Ecole Supérieure des Technologies Industrielles Avancées (ESTIA) in Bidart; and From Conservation of Natural Heritage to Future Society: Science for Sustainable Development at Université de Lille in Lille.

Attendance from CT State was as follows:

Amelia Marie Kearney (CT State Community College Tunxis) and Sophie Capps-Hawkins (CT State Community College Tunxis) participated in the Sustainable Engineering program in Bidart.

Maha Jeffri (CT State Community College Tunxis) and Rebecca Giarnese (CT State Community College Northwestern) attended Natural Heritage to Future Society: Science for Sustainable Development in Lille.

Lissie Flores Egusquiza (CT State Community College Tunxis) attended Some Like it Sustainable in Montpellier.

Robots that students at ESTIA designed and built.

Sustainable Engineering in Bidart, France, offered skill building for STEAM students to brainstorm and solve the challenges of social-ecological transition and apply them to their careers. Students were also taught to identify the different limits of the planet (including climate change) that must not be exceeded and their current state using different environmental impact indicators (Climate Fresk). Opportunities for cultural visits included sightseeing in the cities of Biarritz or Bayonne, visiting museums, hiking, surfing, and participating in other activities in local areas. Students were exposed to Basque music, dances, and other demonstrations for further cultural immersion.

Amelia Kearney (right), participated in the recycling workshop to make a small plastic keychain. She shredded recycled plastic into the machine, then melted it and pushed it into a mold. The jars on the table have shredded recycled plastic sorted into colors. 

Sophie Capps-Hawkins from CT State Tunxis, Amelia Kearney from CT State Tunxis, and others presented the final Carbon Assessment project total emissions calculated during the bootcamp, looking at the different areas with emissions and demonstrating ways that future bootcamps could be more sustainable. 

Natural Heritage to Future Society: Science for Sustainable Development in Lille, France, offered a unique blend of campus tours, activities, and visits to heritage sites. Students delved into sustainable development research and explored underground quarries. The bootcamp also covered the exploration of geo and bioheritage, geothermal energy, urban geoheritage, and ecosystem management. The program also included visits to the Opal Coast Geopark, Fortress of Mimoyeques, explorations of marine ecosystems, and studies of climate change's impact on plant life.

Rebecca Giarnese of CT State Northwestern wearing protective gear to enter the quarries.

Elevator ride to the recreated mine shafts during the museum tour.

Some Like It Sustainable in Montpellier, France, gave students the skillsets to apply corporate social responsibility (CSR) in their workforces. Students gained knowledge to manage a company while being conscientious of CSR issues, learned how innovation contributes to CSR strategies, used sustainable development concepts to design tomorrow’s businesses, identified the positive impact of emerging technologies on sustainable marketing, and gained confidence to start a business or to change and improve practices in their fields. Activities and cultural visits included touring vineyards, visiting the UNESCO Centre for Water, kayaking, and beach trips.

Lissie Flores Egusquiza from CT State Tunxis and fellow students pose as a group on their final day.

Maha Jeffri from CT State Tunxis and Rebecca Giarnese from CT State Northwestern with fellow students on the coast.

Connecticut Manufacturing Summit 2024

The Connecticut Office of Manufacturing will hold the first annual Connecticut Manufacturing Summit on October 2 at the CT Convention Center in Hartford.

This event highlights industry partners who have recently made Connecticut's manufacturing growth and innovation possible. NCNGM Principal Investigator and Director Karen Wosczyna Birch will moderate the "Driving Innovation in the Manufacturing Sector" panel. Take advantage of this opportunity to attend!

Driving Innovation in the Manufacturing Sector: From decision-making and evaluating solutions to capital investments, training, and utilization, Connecticut industry leaders share their experiences as they drive innovation within their organizations.

To register and view the full agenda, visit ctmanufacturingsummit.com

CBIA

Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT)

Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development

Connecticut Office of Manufacturing

Connecticut State Community College

EdAdvance

2024 Manufacture CT Annual Dinner

The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing is proud to be a Silver Sponsor of the 2024 ManufactureCT Annual Celebration Dinner, a highly anticipated event that highlights the accomplishments of Connecticut manufacturers. Join us and other members on October 9th at 5 o'clock to celebrate the occasion at Anthony's Ocean View in New Haven. Stanley Black & Decker’s Vice President of Business Development, Martin Guay, will be the keynote speaker of this year’s Annual Celebration. Mr. Guay is also Chair of our Board of Regents and has been a partner on initiatives for the NCNGM.

We eagerly anticipate the presence of our colleagues and members dedicated to expanding and revolutionizing manufacturing careers in Connecticut at the dinner!

To register for the event visit: https://manufacturect.memberzone.com/eventregistration/register/499


Application Open for Mechatronics Professional Development summer 2025 at Central Community College, Columbus, NE

The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing is partnering with Central Community College in Columbus, Nebraska, to offer Professional Development opportunities with high schools and colleges in the summer of 2025.

If you are interested in attending, please complete the attached form and return it as soon as possible, as class size is limited. Dates for the training will be determined by December 1st. Classes must be taken in sequence.

Our goal is for the local community college to work with high schools to offer dual credit to the high schools. In Nebraska, the community college provides the instructor of record for the college credit, and the facilitator helps the students and provides classroom management. Your school may use these trainers differently than we do. The following are details regarding each session and what you will receive. Classes must be taken in this sequence.

First Course: Concepts of Electronics
4 Days
I. Stipend of $1,800 for your travel costs and time
2. Concepts of Electronics trainer valued at $500
3. Course materials

Second Course: Intro to Instrumentation
4 Days
1. A stipend of $1,800 for your travel costs and time
2. Intro to Instrumentation trainer valued at$ 1,300
3. Course materials

Third Course: Intro to PLC's
4 Days
1. A stipend of $1,800 for your travel costs and time
2. Intro to PLC trainer valued at $1,750
3. Course materials

Fourth Course: Application of Industrial Sensors
3 Days
1. A stipend of $1,500 for your travel costs and time
2. Application of Industrial Sensors trainer valued at $1,950
3. Course materials

If you have any questions, please contact Doug Pauley at 402-562-1280 or dpauley@cccneb.edu. Doug Pauley is the Associate Dean of Workforce Education at Central Community College.

Flyer and request for information in Word document: Doc.x
Flyer and request for information in PDF: PDF

NCNGM at Hi-Tec 2024 Kansas City

Pictured left to right: Back row: Anthony Sihaphong, Diego Angeles, Eric Flynn, Andrew Angle, Douglas Mooney, Daniel Davidchik, Jerry Muller, John Birch. Middle row: Dr. Karen Wosczyna-Birch, Sharon Gusky, Alissa Pace, Kaiden Esteves. Bottom row: Wendy Robicheau, Marco Taverner. (Affliations can be found at the end of this article).

Our team had a blast attending the High Impact Technology Exchange Conference (HI-TEC) 2024 at the Crown Center Sheraton Hotel. Despite the heatwave, attendance was record-breaking for the annual conference. The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing (NCNGM), funded by the National Science Foundation, is honored to have been an Executive Level Supporter of HI-TEC in Kansas City, MO!

Jerry Muller answers HI-TEC attendees’ questions during the NCNGM sponsored Next Generation Manufacturing Special Interest Group (SIG) Workshop.

NCNGM sponsored several pre-conference activities and main conference session, providing students, professors, and professionals a platform to network and engage with its content. This opportunity to connect with diverse participants, gain valuable insights, and enhance their educational and professional journeys was a source of excitement and eagerness for all involved.

Dr. Karen Wosczyna-Birch speaks with HI-TEC attendees during the Business and Industry Leadership Teams for Advanced Manufacturing Programs panel discussion.

The NCNGM kicked off HI-TEC with a pre-conference workshop, Incorporating Professional Skills and Team Building Into Your Curriculum, presented by John Birch of The Birch Group. Participants in this full-day workshop learned about their own DISC behavioral profile and how to work with people of different profiles with the goal of a developing successful, productive team environments.

The 2024 Next Generation Manufacturing Special Interest Group (SIG) meeting focused on equipping the future advanced manufacturing workforce with the skills needed by industry. The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing facilitated discussion, dissemination, and networking among attendees. The SIG included a panel that provided an overview of the advanced manufacturing industry and how the field will be impacted by incorporating Industry 4.0 technologies such as AI. Presenters from our leadership team reviewed strategies for addressing challenges within the national advanced manufacturing technician education community that can be implemented at participants’ institutions.

During the panel titled Business and Industry Leadership Teams for Advanced Manufacturing Programs, members of the NCNGM leadership team shared their experiences developing Business and Industry Leadership Teams (BILTs), incorporating the information learned into programs, and plans for BILTs in additional disciplines. NCNGM Principal Investigator & Executive Director Karen Wosczyna-Birch, Mechatronics  Consultant Doug Pauley, NCNGM Co-PI’s Tim Baber, Jerry Muller, and BILT Consultant Ann Beheler demonstrated how the BILT model works and which BILTs have been completed for advanced manufacturing disciplines.

Finally, during the Diversity and the Advanced Manufacturing Workforce panel, attendees heard personal experiences from students in advanced manufacturing fields, including what helped them persist when facing challenges throughout their career paths. They also learned about strategies and resources for recruiting and retaining students from underrepresented populations in advanced manufacturing fields from Dr. Karen Wosczyna-Birch.

MET² students present their project during NCNGM HI-TEC 2024 poster session.

Pictured left to right: Diego Angeles, Anthony Sihaphong, Alissa Pace, and Kaiden Esteves.

NCNGM also had a booth in the exhibit hall and a poster session where attendees spoke with students from the Connecticut Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering Technologies (MET²) Program, leadership partners, and professors from Central Community College in Nebraska, College of the Canyons in California, Columbus State Community College in Ohio, and Connecticut State Community College in Connecticut. We are committed to highlighting our other programs and activities, ensuring everyone feels included, welcomed, and valued in our community!

Daniel Davidchik explains the curriculum of the Summer Mechatronics Workshop offered by Central Community College to eager-to-learn students of NCNGM sponsored MET² program.

Pictured left to right: Kaiden Esteves, Daniel Davidchik, Alissa Pace, Diego Angeles, and Anthony Sihaphong.

We thank our partners and leadership team for a successful HI-TEC 2024 conference experience!

Partners
Central Community College
College of the Canyons
Colombus State Community College
Connecticut State Community College
Connecticut State Colleges and Universities
Connecticut College of Technology
EdAdvance

Professionals, Faculty, Students and Staff
Dr. Karen Wosczyna-Birch, Principal Investigator and Executive Director, National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing
Tim Baber, Co-PI NCNGM and Department Chair, Manufacturing Technology , College of the Canyons, California
Jerry Muller, Co-PI NCNGM and Industrial Technology Coordinator/Trainer, Central Community College, Nebraska
Andrew Angle, STEM Teacher Bloomfield School District, Connecticut
Daniel Davidchik, Mechatronics Instructor, Central Community College, Nebraska
Douglas Mooney, CT State Community College Northwestern, Connecticut
Doug Pauley, Associate Dean, Community and Workforce Education, Central Community College, Nebraska
Eric Flynn, Professor, CT State Community College Gateway, Connecticut
John Birch, The Birch Group, Connecticut
Sharon Gusky, Professor, CT State Community College Northwestern, Connecticut
Wendy Robicheau, Assistant Director, National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing
Marco Taverner, Community Engagement Coordinator, National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing
Anthony Sihaphong, University of New Haven, Connecticut
Alissa Pace, CT State Community College Manchester, Connecticut
Diego Angeles, CT State Community College Manchester, Connecticut
Kaiden Esteves, Central Connecticut State University, Connecticut

NCNGM at the ASEE Annual Conference

The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing (NCNGM) will be presenting two posters at the 2024 ASEE Annual Conference in Portland, OR. The formal National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education (NSF ATE) Poster Session will be held on Wednesday, June 26th from 9:45 - 11:15am Pacific Time. Stop by poster #186 for the NCNGM poster and #217 for our CISTART High School Program!

Student Research Project Presentation at may 2024 college of technology meeting

The National Science Foundation funded National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing (NCNGM) supported the Connecticut College of Technology (COT) Site Coordinators Meeting on May 29th, 2024. This final meeting of the 2023-2024 academic year began with welcome remarks from Dr. Karen Wosczyna-Birch, Executive Director, COT & Executive Director & PI, NCNGM. It was a gathering for networking, Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering Technologies (MET²) Program student presentations, and a review of recent and upcoming COT and NCNGM initiatives and activities. 

There was also a presentation by Amy Thompson, Chief Talent & Training Officer, Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT) on their new Faculty Fellowship for Incorporating Industry 4.0 & Model-Based Design (MBD) Practices into Curriculum. 

Following the presentation was an overview of the MET² Program by John Birch, CEO of The Birch Group and Executive Director of MET², and Eric Flynn, a professor at CT State Community College Gateway and Lead Technology Faculty for MET².

The MET² Program provides genuine, real-world, industry-driven challenges or problems to fuel projects explored by self-managed teams of students. Program teams are inter-institutional and interdisciplinary to capitalize on the synergy between the theoretical knowledge of university students and faculty, complemented by the requisite hands-on technical skills of community college students and faculty. The 2024 team met regularly and conducted research culminating in a professional-level final report and presentation. The MET² Program is supported by the NCNGM through its National Science Foundation funding. This year the students were tasked with researching and developing a prototype in response to the problem statement: “Design and analyze a mounting configuration that can secure an optic with the required accuracy of +/- 50 microns in the X and Y directions with respect to a light source.” These students, named below and pictured, presented and demonstrated the research project proposed by ASML and then reflected on their learning experiences.

  • Alissa Pace, CT State Manchester

  • Anthony Sihaphong, University of New Haven

  • Diego Angeles, CT State Manchester.

  • Kaiden Esteves, Central Connecticut State University

Following the presentations, Dr. Karen Wosczyna-Birch reviewed the COT and NCNGM upcoming initiatives, activities, and important dates. The meeting ended with a networking lunch where all attendees were able to network and further continue discussions on collaborations. 

Congratulations to all of our students, faculty, and partners on another successful academic year!

Congratulations 2024 Epsilon Pi Tau Gamma Phi Chapter Inductees!

This year we had over 100 student inductees for our Epsilon Pi Tau International Honor Society for Technology Professions - Gamma Phi Chapter Induction Ceremony, representing Connecticut State Community College. The ceremony included Keynote Speaker, Marty Guay, Vice President of Business Development for Stanley Black & Decker and Member of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, who provided advice and words of encouragement for our students.

We also celebrated individuals who are dedicated to STEM education and ensuring our students are successful on their paths to careers in technology. Our honorary inductees for 2024 are:

Marty Guay, Vice President of Business Development Stanley Black & Decker.

Felisha Guirand-Fleurimond, Project Manager-Advanced Manufacturing Technology Coordinator, Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center, Connecticut State Community College Housatonic.

John Jagtiani, Professor Computer Science, Data Science and Business Intelligence, Connecticut State Community College Northwestern.


Congratulations to all!


Gamma Phi Chapter Induction 2024 Photos