October 15, 2019 Melissa Lamar

This item was published more than 1 year ago. For a current list of press releases, visit News Archives .

Tunxis Community College in Farmington and the College of Technology have received a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to establish a manufacturing resource center that will help colleges nationwide in attracting and educating students, and in advancing their manufacturing programs to meet the high demand for skilled workers in the next decade.

“There are a number of high-paying career opportunities in the various industries that rely upon these skilled workers, and many people don’t know about them,” said Tunxis professor Dr. Karen Wosczyna-Birch, director of the College of Technology and executive director of the Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. “The Center will help share information like this and also hopefully reduce the time and resources that colleges need to grow and innovate individually.”

The only of its kind on the East Coast, the Next Generation Manufacturing Resource Center will increase the availability and variety of industry-driven advanced manufacturing curricula and resources that emphasize both technical and professional skills through a national network of partners and stakeholders. In addition to providing learning activities, curricula and manuals on replicating initiatives online, the Center will share information on events, webinars, grant opportunities, videos and other content on careers in manufacturing.

The Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing (RCNGM), a National Science Foundation (NSF) Center of Excellence, is one of four NSF Advanced Technological Education Centers in manufacturing in the United States. It is led by the College of Technology at Tunxis Community College, a consortium of all 12 CT Community Colleges and eight public and private universities that was formed through CT legislation in 1995 to establish seamless transfer pathways in engineering and technology. For more information on the College of Technology, contact Wosczyna-Birch at 860.723.0608, or [email protected].

Tunxis Community College offers more than 70 associate degrees and certificates, including 12 associate degrees with manufacturing, science, engineering and technology emphases. Tunxis is also a recipient of a $2.8 million National Science Foundation grant which has helped the College of Technology’s Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing continue advancing its goals. For more information on programs at Tunxis, call 860.773.1490, or visit tunxis.edu.