Last week, Goodwin University held an Advanced Manufacturing Summit, in partnership with the NAACP Million Jobs Campaign (MJC). The Jobs Campaign serves individuals who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system, which includes people that have been incarcerated, on probation, have an arrest record, or another direct contact with the justice system.
It was an eye-opening event. Did you realize there are 9600 people released from CT prisons every year who have an extremely difficult time finding employment? That’s a huge number of potential employees for the CT manufacturing industry. Did you also know that justice-impacted employees have a higher rate of retention than other groups of employees?
A few years ago, I learned about the impressive Second Chance program at Pursuit Aerospace (formerly Whitcraft Group). They started a partnership with a CT prison in 2018 to fill their workforce needs while also doing something positive for their community. They built a structured work-release model for inmates that enabled many to transition to full-time employment after their release. This initiative focused on training individuals for skilled manufacturing roles, facilitating both pride in their learning and incredible growth potential for true careers, not just jobs. Learn more about their program on the Manufacturing Shake-Up podcast episode with Pursuit EVP, Jacqueline Gallo.
According to the research shared at the Advance Manufacturing Summit, gainful employment like this increases successful re-entry and reduces recidivism by 50%! That’s a massive change in behavior.
The MJC is seeking more manufacturers to get involved – to be willing and able to support the justice-impacted community. It’s a win-win for both communities. Manufacturers get the employees they so desperately need and justice-impacted individuals earn the potential for a great career. Often, these employees can’t be poached by the big guys (EB and Pratt) due to their tight hiring restrictions.
Successful second chance initiatives aren’t a one-off hiring decision. They must be a structured strategy with intention and commitment behind them. Take a look at the Employer Toolkit: Second Chance Hiring by Central Connecticut State University to learn about the steps and pathways to start a Second Chance program.
The Million Jobs Campaign is doing important work, and the Connecticut Manufacturing industry can play a big role. We can’t wait to see how this grows!
Consultants provide expertise in areas of your business that you either don’t have in-house or don’t have the capacity for. By outsourcing some tasks, you can focus on what you do best – manufacturing!
Data drives everything in our lives from the advertisements we watch to the music we listen to. It has become so intertwined in our daily life that we don’t think about it. However, January 28th marked International Data Privacy Day, and it might be worth investigating the last time you updated your website’s privacy and data collection policy.
At the beginning of the new year, people often set new year’s resolutions like going to the gym or eating better. But setting a goal is just the first step – you actually have to follow through with action. THAT’S where the rubber meets the road, because if you don’t want to do it, it’s probably not going to happen. I mean, we all know that running is a good way to lose weight, but if you hate running, it probably isn’t the right task for you. So, maybe you should try a team sport or swimming instead. You’re way more likely to complete a goal that you like!
Today’s topic is funding. More specifically the grants available that could help you meet your 2026 business goals.
As we approach the new year, many businesses are considering how they want to grow in 2026. Should they expand their offering in some areas and scale back in others? What does the market demand? To determine this, you need to have a sustainable way to attract new business while maintaining your current customers’ needs.
“I need a new website” is a statement we often hear. While a website is one of your most important marketing tools, it is easy for your site to get lost in the vast sea of search results even if you offer a superior product or unique solution.
With each passing week, it seems that more businesses have started to utilize AI to introduce new features and enhance productivity in their workforce. While this can be useful, in many cases as with any new technology, oftentimes who comes out ahead is not who can use it the most, but who uses it the best.
While Connecticut’s larger manufacturers typically have marketing departments (or at least an agency contract), the majority of our state’s smaller manufacturing companies do not. When asked why, they’ll typically say it’s because they’re “too small”, so it’s not in their budgets. They see marketing as more of a luxury than a necessity – and they couldn’t be more wrong.
I attended the annual Women in Manufacturing Summit earlier this week. There were over 2,100 people at the Summit in Boston which offered more than 60 educational sessions. I was fortunate to attend the presentation on Reshoring by Rosemary Coates, Executive Director of the Reshoring Institute.