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n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 2 2 | n e w h a v e n B I Z 9 Manufacturing is not dark, dirty and dangerous. Most manufacturing facilities are very clean, efficient, productive and air-conditioned. (Manufacturing jobs) will provide a great lifestyle and a high-paying job with lots of opportunities. e second thing we look at is the labor participation rate — the percentage of the population that can work that is actually working. Pre-pandemic it was 67 percent. During the pandemic it dropped to 61 percent. e last number I saw was 64.5 percent. We need to see the reasons why people le the workforce and what we can do to get them back. Child care is an issue and the governor put $100 million in the budget to help. Transportation is an issue, and our Office of Workforce Strategy is going to come out with innovative programs around making it easier for people to get to work. Mental health is an issue. A lot of people are just burnt out and not really sure what they want to do. We want to make sure we can provide them with the opportunities for careers in manufacturing. e third thing we are doing is what I call, 'If you learn in Connecticut, I want you to earn in Connecticut.' I would like every student at a four-year university who is interested, to have an internship at a Connecticut manufacturer the summer aer their sophomore and junior year. We are funding, through the Manufacturing Innovation Fund, a program that helps subsidize the cost of interns. e fourth thing we need to do is create and build communities that will attract people to Connecticut. We can get people to look at Connecticut as a great place to work, live and play, and we can bring them into the manufacturing ecosystem. We make submarines, jet engines, helicopters, medical equipment, food. I could go through this long list of cool things we make here in Connecticut. We need to do a better job outside Connecticut to let people know. How can the state help with supply chain issues? We are looking at decreasing the dependency upon the supply chain outside of Connecticut. We are working to make sure manufacturers in Connecticut know what kind of manufacturing we have in Connecticut. ey may be able to say, 'Hey, you know there is a company in Connecticut that makes what I need. I was buying it from China, and now I can get it from Connecticut.' We're trying to make sure we connect Connecticut manufacturers together, so we can buy local and support each other. We are working with the chief consulate of Canada to talk more about what is in the Canadian manufacturing ecosystem, and how can we set up supply chain arrangements with Canada, and not Russia and not China. Manufacturers are starting to look at vertical integration, which is taking things that they have always had in the supply chain and bringing that in-house. When they do that, we can support them through the Manufacturing Innovation Fund, with grants for new equipment, or incumbent worker training. Do you see the reshoring trend having legs in Connecticut? More people are looking to make connections here in Connecticut within the supply chain and keep work here. ere are companies that have called saying, 'I need to find a Connecticut manufacturer.' I think that will accelerate. Connecticut manufacturing realizes that in our quest for low-cost parts, sending stuff overseas probably was not the best decision. We need to look at how we can continue to bring work back here, because we have the expertise to do the work. What are you seeing in terms of technology investment? We are seeing a significant investment in technolo- gy in all levels of the manufacturing ecosystem. Large manufacturers are making investments in digital transformation, robotics, additive manufacturing, rapid prototyping, cybersecurity and equipment upgrades. Small to medium manufacturers continue to invest in technology and new equipment at the speed of relevancy – meaning that they need to keep up with advances in technology to keep their business grow- ing. e state supports small business technology investments through our Manufacturing Innovation Fund, which provides grant programs for manufac- turers to invest in technology and equipment. How are you serving as an advocate for manufacturers? If you look at the manufacturing landscape in Connecticut, we have 160,000 people who work at 4,000 manufacturers. at is an average of 40 people at each manufacturing company. However if you take into consideration that 60,000 people work in the top 25 manufacturers, we have 100,000 people working at 3,975 manufacturers, that puts the average just around 25. So, the average manufacturer is 25 people. When you are a 25-person manufacturing company, you really don't have the time to advocate for yourself, because you are too busy trying to get work out the door. I serve as a concierge to those manufacturers, and I serve as their voice to the governor and legislature. What do you think the future holds for manufacturing in Connecticut? e future is bright. We have an aerospace alley. We have a large defense base here. One of the challenges we have is we don't have 400 acres of open land where we can build huge manufacturing facilities. So, our future is really going to continue to be high-precision, high-value, low- volume manufacturing that nobody else can do. n Call us 800-475-2265 or visit washtrust.com Any bank can give you a decision. WE REPLACE red tape with local decision makers who can give you an answer quickly. James M. 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