March 26, 2025
Winsted, CT – CT State Northwestern recently was proud to award Advanced Manufacturing certificates to fourteen employees of Torrington based Dymax Corporation. The seventy-five hour, six-month training program included modules in Shop Math, Industrial Safety, Principles of Quality Control, and Production Control. This is the second group of Dymax employees who have completed the program. In total, thirty-nine employees have completed the customized training.
“Dymax Corporation has a very productive partnership with our local CT-State community college,” said John Pepper, Human Resources Business Partner for Dymax. “We believe in our employees and strive to implement workforce development programs, such as these certificate programs, on a regular cadence. The CT-State community college delivers job-centric cutting-edge curriculum, then rolls it out when we want it, where we want it, and within budget.”
“I congratulate Dymax for their partnership with CT State Northwestern,” said Northwestern president Dr. Michael Rooke, “and for their commitment to the development of their amazing employees. This is a great example of how we can partner to improve the workforce of this region, which is especially important in a critical sector like advanced manufacturing.”
This program was sponsored and supported by The Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board (NRWIB), who provided funding and tuition support to participants.
"We are proud to partner with local companies like Dymax Corporation as they invest in their workforce via Incumbent Worker Training opportunities through the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board, Inc.," said Patrick J. Donnelly, NRWIB Director of Strategic Planning & Development. "Collaborations like this with Dymax and CT State Northwestern not only enhance employee skills and career growth but also drive the success of our regional industries, strengthening the local economy."
As well as receiving the certificate from CT State Northwestern, all students in the Dymax program also received a micro-credential from the CT College of Technology (COT), which was established in 1992 and includes all twelve CT State Community College campuses, ten public and private partner universities, the CT Technical and Career Education System, and nonprofit organizations. This unique infrastructure and governance provides seamless articulation between the Engineering Science and Technology programs at CT State and partner universities, providing multiple points of entry for degree completion. These pathways include credit certificates, micro-credentials, and fifteen industry-driven options that respond to workforce needs. COT also provides leadership for the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing, which is funded by the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education program.
"This certificate program demonstrates the value of the College of Technology collaboration as a workforce-education model that we will share nationally through the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing," said Dr. Karen Wosczyna-Birch, Executive Director of both COT and PI, National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing.
For more information on customized, workforce development contact Gary Carra at Gary.Carra@ctstate.edu.
