Technical Development Committee Report
June 2026 – by Al Mangels
The NESMA Technical Development Committee (TDC) meeting was held virtually on June 10th, 2026.
By now we have completed the traditional school year when we have reported, attended, and/or tracked at least 45 events across the career development landscape since September 2025, culminating in the Hartford Manufacturing & Tech Job Fair at MakerspaceCT on June 26th.
At our meeting, David Weinholz from MakerspaceCT also reported their Maker battle on May 16th, their pilot welding program starting this June, and their summer STEAM program that has 120 Hartford students enrolled.
We also heard from Carolyn Freer at CCSU about their second manufacturing cohort in July, and ongoing undergraduate programs in the fall. Carolyn reports currently working with CONNSTEP, having received a DECD grant to determine what an apprenticeship certificate program would look like, and we emphasized that manufacturing fundamentals should be learned before an apprentice even starts working, and to make sure there is a strong hands-on portion in whatever program might further be developed.
At Tunxis Community College, Jordan Domkowski mentioned their Manufacturing Discovery Days, a hands-on trial course being held during the week after July 4th. This program runs twice a year, both in the summer and in January, and any students 18 and older are able to attend.
John Ryan, the former and future principal of Bristol Technical Education Center, explained about the school’s expansion plans, including new HVAC and welding programs in partnership with CTEC, and clarified that Eric Hilverson, who is the current principal, will retire in the fall.
Sarah Lupa, from Bristol Adult Learning, reports that she is working on creating partnerships with local businesses for placement of their students. Please let me know if you are interested.
Cliff Thermer from Goodwin University reported that 30 employers were present at their Business and Manufacturing Career Fair on May 19th along with 55 attendees. We were also introduced to Alyssa Adler, who is the new Business Partnership Coordinator at Goodwin, as Goodwin has assumed the role of convener for the Advanced Manufacturing Employer Partnership (AMEP), our closest Regional Sector Partnership.
Eileen Candels brought us up to date on the CCAT program for Summertime College Interns that launched at the Statewide Orientation kickoff at Trumpf on June 3rd. Enrollment rolls on through the summer, but the sooner enrolled, the sooner the company and intern can gain contact info for invitation to events. All program info is here: www.ccat.us/interns, where an employer can access initial enrollment and event details and registration. The next event was a tour of CCAT’s Advanced Technology Center on June 11th, followed by statewide employer tours and 5 lunchtime webinars on tech topics, and an end of summer social on July 29th. Qualified employers with less than 300 CT employees could apply for up to $14K in matching wage subsidies for qualified interns each summer. Eileen also mentioned that she has resumes of over 180 students, seeking internships as well as recent graduates seeking full-time roles. Email her at ecandels@ccat.org if you’re interested.
Leah Fuhs from Workforce Solutions Collaborative of Metro Hartford suggested to our committee that if anyone has events or job fairs coming up to announce, they will post on their website, and LinkedIn, to help promote it. She mentioned the AMEP bi-annual meeting at Phoenix Manufacturing that will occur later this year. She reports engaging with Women in Manufacturing at a May 13th event, also held at Phoenix Manufacturing, who want to continue to host events, having space for 40 interns and 40 manufacturers, for example, to attend a networking event. Other subjects discussed are a November meeting to focus on liability issues, connecting with skilled people who are retiring to bridge gaps where schools need manufacturers to become instructors, and statewide clean economy and climate transition partnerships. If anyone is interested contact amepct.org.
Joe Turecek at Capital Workforce Partners discussed his role in case management and business services, particularly focusing on manufacturing in North Central Connecticut, including supporting recent graduates from career connect classes, as well as addressing layoffs from companies like Guidas and Stanley Black & Decker. Joe offers his help with employee connections, soft skills, and career guidance. jturecek@capitalworkforce.org
Other upcoming events include the 2026 Connecticut Manufacturing Innovation Forum at the CT Convention Center in Hartford on September 1st, and the College and Career Fair at Farmington High School on September 30th.
Looking forward, the new SMI course “204 – Flat Springs and Spring Washers” is all but complete and, once completed, attention will turn towards the development of an overall springmaker curriculum, including both hands-on and classroom content.
The next Technical Development Committee meeting will be Wednesday, July 8th (2-3 PM). We hope you can join.