News and Events

A new study shows that eastern Connecticut’s 10-year Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative (MPI) has placed 6,464 people in full-time employment. The research, conducted by DataCore Partners, says those additional jobs have generated an estimated $549 million in economic impact and supported a further 16,484 jobs in the region. The MPI was created in 2016 with a $6 million federal Department of Labor grant issued to the Eastern Workforce Investment Board (EWIB), in response to growing demand for skilled workers at Groton shipyard Electric Boat and its local supply chain companies. Since then, about $58 million in combined federal and state funding...

Groton is seeing renewed national attention as submarine production ramps up to meet growing U.S. Navy demand. EWIB President/CEO Michael Nogelo references the Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative (MPI): “Connecticut is betting on short-term training courses to fill the jobs, spending millions of dollars on no-cost classes in blueprint reading, equipment usage, math, painting, welding and other tasks. The program has trained most of Electric Boat’s new Connecticut trade hires in the past few years.”

“The MPI’s secret sauce is its responsiveness to not only the workforce needs of large defense contractors like General Dynamics Electric Boat but also the more than 40 smaller EAMA RSP members who have hired graduates,” said Chris Jewell, EWIB and EAMA RSP Chair and President of Collins & Jewell Company in Bozrah.

"Nakayla Isaac, Valeria Ramales, and Addison Muggeo-Taggart completed the program as part of an initiative supported by ReadyCT and the Eastern Workforce Investment Board. The effort is aimed at preparing students for careers in the health care field while meeting workforce needs."

"Comparing and contrasting what’s going in other parts of the country, I truly believe what we’ve been able to assemble in the last decade is the highest-performing system of manufacturing workforce development.” - US Rep. Joe Courtney discussing EWIB's MPI.

"After launching at the high school in February with support from Ready CT and the Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board, Jarvis said that by June, the program's inaugural class will have completed 120 instructional and clinical hours and be ready to test for their CNA certification."

This generous award from the M&T Charitable Foundation will enable EWIB to continue to provide robust training and support services to a greater number of jobseekers,” said Chris Jewell, Chair of the EWIB Board of Directors and President of Bozrah, Connecticut manufacturing company Collins & Jewell. “This will prepare more people to earn in-demand credentials and advance along career pathways while bolstering the talent pipelines that support business growth and regional economic vitality.

"[...] a Windham High School junior [...] shared her journey from foster care and homelessness to finding stability. She attributed her success to her involvement with the Eastern CT Workforce Investment Board’s (EWIB) Connecticut Youth Employment Program (CYEP) delivered in partnership with EASTCONN."

EWIB President Michael Nogelo was pragmatic about the possibilities, saying that if the funding can’t be sustained at $10 million, they simply won’t be able to match young people with local employers for paid summer work or internships, and that will have an impact.

"Eastern Connecticut manufacturers are overcoming challenges like tariffs and labor shortages through innovation and collaboration. The Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative is successfully training new talent, helping sustain industry growth. Strong community support and programs are building a skilled workforce for the future."

"Beyond the direct benefits to participants, the CYEP is an investment in Connecticut’s future workforce. The 119K Commission on At-Risk and Disconnected Youth, in its final report, "Young People First," explicitly recommended that the state partner with Workforce Development Boards to secure full funding for the CYEP, ensuring access for all young people."

"CEO and president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, on a tour of the manufacturing apprenticeship center at Ella T. Grasso Technical High School, which is part of the workforce-development pipeline for Electric Boat."

"The Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board helped create the manufacturing pipeline, and its president, Michael Nogelo, said the “demand-driven” approach the initiative adopted has been critical to its success."

"While EB is having a slower hiring year, it’s not impacting the 400 participants in the Eastern Workforce Investment Board’s Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative for this year," EWIB President and CEO Michael Nogelo said.

"For organizations to remain competitive, their strategies must evolve. As board members, the challenge isn’t just about monitoring management’s response; it’s about ensuring the organization is positioned to adapt and thrive in this new environment."

EB President Mark Rayha indicates that EB hiring in CT will slow down until the second half of 2025. Mr. Rayha says efforts to improve the workforce pipeline through accelerated training programs with partners including EWIB have “borne fruit.”

This article is about career pathway programs at Tourtellotte Memorial High School. The article mentions EWIB as a partner in the district’s efforts to develop courses “that will lead to high-interest career options responsive to the labor market."

The Eastern CT Healthcare Partnership (ECHP) convened by EWIB attends the Northeast CT Healthcare Career Expo hosted by CT State - Quinebaug Valley, which attracted over 100 students from area high schools.

The Workforce Symposium held 10/30/24-11/1/24 in Mystic, convened state leaders to discuss how states are developing a skilled workforce and expanding economic opportunities, and spotlighted EWIB’s Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative (MPI) and EAMA RSP employer engagement.

EASTCONN’s new Mobile Manufacturing Lab promotes modern manufacturing career opportunities by bringing hands-on experiences to regional middle schools. Michael Nogelo spoke at the October 11 ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"The region is already at the epicenter of efforts to train young adults for jobs in the booming manufacturing industry. The Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board’s Manufacturing Pipeline program has been recognized as a national model for recruiting unemployed or underemployed workers who don’t necessarily have experience in the field."

Eastern CT Workforce Investment Board (EWIB), CT NAACP State Conference, and Eastern Advanced Manufacturing Alliance Regional Sector Partnership (EAMA RSP) announcing a partnership to marry the Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative & One Million Jobs Campaign to expand equitable career opportunities & grow the manufacturing talent pool.

A video of Rep. Courtney speaking on the House floor about the momentum in the submarine industrial base providing recognition to the MPI and kudos to EWIB for creating a “national example of workforce training programs.”

Showcases the Youth Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative (YMPI) from a student’s perspective.

Features an interview with EWIB President Michael Nogelo and states “It's going to continue to be manufacturing and health care driving growth in Southeast and Eastern Connecticut”.

Highlights the Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative, housed at the state’s community colleges and technical high schools, assisting Electric Boat in its efforts onboarding thousands of workers to fulfill tens of billions of dollars in new ballistic missile submarine contracts for the U.S.

Features an interview with EWIB President Michael Nogelo and states "Lawmakers say fueling this growth is the Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative" (MPI).

A video of Rep. Courtney speaking on the House floor about the A Stronger Workforce for America (ASWA) Act to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), and about the MPI.