Hartford Business Journal

We help guide your business like it is our business. Meet our team at bankatpeoples.com/businessteam Big-time business solutions. That's huge Member FDIC/Member DIF manufacturing jobs could turn the neighborhood into a mini-Brooklyn, Guay said. It already has plenty of restaurants, some hip loft-style apartment buildings and an arts scene. Guay thinks an injection of young people with disposable in- come from well-paid manufacturing jobs would be a huge lift to the state manufacturing sector; young em- ployees who otherwise might work lower-paid service or gig economy jobs; and the city of Hartford, which would see previously underutilized space transformed into dynamic centers of industry and innovation. "It's really about creating momen- tum," Guay said. "Parkville can be the seed of a big story." More opportunities for well-paid manufacturing jobs in and around Hartford could have a huge impact on city residents, especially younger people who graduated high school, but lack other education or training, said Alex Johnson, president and CEO of Capital Workforce Partners (CWP), a Hartford-based regional workforce development board. The need for jobs that pay middle class salaries is particularly acute now — and likely in the years ahead — as COVID-19 has demolished many of the service economy jobs held by Hartford residents. "These are good jobs, these are jobs that are constantly advancing," Johnson said. Bringing manufacturing jobs to Hartford, however, wouldn't guar- antee they get filled. Younger resi- dents need to be interested in doing the work and get proper training. That's why Johnson said K-12 schools need to increasingly em- phasize STEM skills and introduce students early on to manufacturing as a career option. CWP leads train- ing programs like the Apprentice- ship Connecticut initiative, which includes pre-apprenticeship and credential-based manufacturing training. Ari Santiago, host of the "Made in America" podcast that focuses on Connecticut manufacturing, said promoting the industry to younger people is key. They often prefer city life to the suburbs or rural areas, so compa- nies recruiting them for jobs should keep that in mind. "If we want to attract a young and talented workforce to get into manufacturing, [manufacturing companies] no longer being in cities, I think, is a challenge," Santiago said. Need for public transportation While creating more manufactur- ing jobs in Hartford is a laudable goal, most companies aren't going to uproot their operations and move to the city. However, they'd still love to tap into Hartford's younger de- mographics. To do that, the state must focus on improving its public transportation options, said Kelli- Marie Vallieres, inaugural head of the Connecticut Workforce Unit, which Gov. Ned Lamont established over the summer to coordinate the state's workforce ecosystem. Manufacturing workforce is- sues persist across the country, but Connecticut's regional workforce boards have been providing a lot of training for people inter- ested in enter- ing the industry, and partnering with K-12 and higher-educa- tion institutions to increase offerings to students, Vallieres said. Connecticut's 12 community col- leges also have hands-on manufac- turing training programs. "Those 12 colleges spread across the state really do give us a pretty good geographical spread across ur- ban and rural areas," Vallieres said. Additionally, the Eastern Con- necticut Workforce Investment Board — for which Vallieres previ- ously served as COO — matches job seekers who went through its training programs with companies hiring for entry-level jobs within easy commuting distance. Expand- ing that statewide could help city dwellers find manufacturing jobs closer to them. CBIA's DiPentima said that with- out better public transportation infrastructure, a more urbanized manufacturing workforce is among the best ways to ensure the state industry's health. "Connecticut will only be as strong as our cities are, so we need to grow our cities and tap into that potential," DiPentima said. "If [Con- necticut] doesn't fill those jobs, those positions will go elsewhere." CT manufacturing jobs by industry Source: 2020 CBIA Connecticut Manufacturing Report Source: U.S. Census Bureau/CBIA Motor vehicles & parts 2% Plastic & rubber products 2% Electrical equipment & appliances 5% Food, beverage, tobacco products 6% Machinery 7% Computer & electronic parts 7% Miscellaneous 9% Fabricated metal products 15% Chemicals 18% Aerospace & transportation 29% Alex Johnson Kelli-Marie Vallieres www.HartfordBusiness.com • November 30, 2020 • Hartford Business Journal 9

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