2016 | Doing Business in Connecticut 65
SPONSORED REPORT
with the Regional Center for Next-
Generation Manufacturing.
Educators spend the summer par-
ticipating in workplace experiences that
reinforce the alignment between cur-
riculum and current workplace practices.
These projects allow teachers
to gain insight into lean processes,
quality management, and continuous
improvement — skills employers have
prioritized — and integrate them into
their classrooms.
Q: What states or even countries
are doing this kind of education well?
Who can Connecticut look to for in-
spiration and guidance?
A: The United States is ranked
17th in education, behind other devel-
oped countries, and that was unheard
of decades ago.
The schools that were built to pre-
pare the future workforce for jobs in
factories and farms have not evolved in
tandem with the changing workplace.
NAF academies like the Academy
of Engineering & Green Technology
are redefining the school model.
They connect students to the
workplace much earlier, and the
P-TECH model allows students to gain
an associate's degree concurrently
with their high school diploma.
There is no specific type of school
that is the panacea, but we need
flexibility that addresses each child's
educational needs.
CBIA: Connecticut
Business & Industry
Association
What is it? CBIA is
Connecticut's largest business
organization, with thousands
of member companies, small
and large, representing a
diverse range of industries from
every part of the state.
What does it do? CBIA is
fighting to make Connecticut a
top state for business, jobs, and
economic growth, championing
change, shaping policy and
regulatory debate, and driving
collaboration between the
private and public sectors.
How do I learn more?
Visit cbia.com
Hartford High Academy of Engineering and Green Technology students have brought electricity
to two remote Nepalese villages.