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HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | SEPTEMBER 8, 2025 19 FOCUS | BUSINES S SCHOOLS Central CT State University manufacturing and construction management lecturer Mark Janas leads TRUMPF apprentices on a classroom tour of the school's Applied Innovation Hub. Photos | Johnathon Henninger/Central CT State University Industry Partnerships Central CT State Univ. pilots robotics apprenticeship with TRUMPF as model for systemwide 'preferred employer program' the company $7,000 per apprentice. A student enrolling outside of an employer-sponsored program would pay $7,704 for the same number of credits, although Central officials say a direct comparison doesn't reflect all of the variables. It's not a totally new concept. Central has in the past had a similar arrangement with the former United Technologies Corp. (now Raytheon Technologies). And in June, the state colleges system greenlit tuition discounts for the CT Community Nonprofit Alliance and AFSCME Local 714. Now CSCU administrators are looking to formalize and scale the program across its institutions, which include four state universities (Central, Eastern, Southern and Western), Charter Oak State College and CT State Community College. Filling skill gaps TRUMPF has its North American headquarters in Farmington, where it recently added a 55,000-square-foot "smart" factory facility. The company has a longstanding two-year, 4,000-hour apprenticeship program registered through the state Department of Labor. TRUMPF once partnered with Tunxis Community College for training, but after that school's advanced manufacturing program was discontinued, the company began exploring alternatives. About a year ago, company offi- cials approached Central to discuss a collaboration. By Harriet Jones hjones@hartfordbusiness.com C entral Connecticut State University has launched a new robotics and mechatronics technician apprenticeship program in partnership with high-tech manufac- turer TRUMPF Inc. It's the first in a series of pilots that the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system is calling a "preferred employer program," which offers custom-tai- lored training and a tuition discount to local businesses. In this first iteration, over the course of four semesters, nine apprentices employed by TRUMPF will take courses in an undergraduate certificate program in robotics and mechatronics designed by faculty at Central's School of Engineering, Science & Technology. The classes are offered in the evening because all the apprentices work a full 40-hour week with TRUMPF, which manufactures industrial lasers and metal fabrication equipment. The course materials were taken from the engineering school's current offerings, but adapted for the needs of the company. "This partnership with TRUMPF exemplifies our commitment at Central to aligning our educational offerings directly with the evolving needs of industry," said Central President Zulma R. Toro. "We under- stand the critical demand for highly skilled professionals in advanced manu- facturing, and this program is a direct response to that need." The company pays the tuition and fees for the apprentices, and gets a 5% tuition discount as part of the program. The full 12-credit course will cost CCSU Director of Admissions Larry Hall in the advising center at the school's Applied Innovation Hub. Continued on next page Zulma Toro