On Thursday, Oct. 5, over 250 people gathered at the Marriott Ballroom in Trumbull to honor Tovar-Peralta and several manufacturing companies in Connecticut. “The dark days of old factories are over,” said Joe Carbone, CEO of The Workplace, a workforce development service and emcee of the event. “These are high-tech, clean and smart jobs. No one should overlook manufacturing right now.”
As a sponsor of the event, The Workplace has paid for over a hundred local students within the past three years to attend The Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Center, or AMTC at Housatonic Community College. This 10-month program teaches students about advanced manufacturing technology and how to enter this unique workspace. "Through the AMTC program, there is currently a 100 percent rate of hire upon completion," said Carbone.
This year’s alum speaker, Jenny Tovar-Peralta, is proof of the program’s success. “AMTC changed my entire life,” said Tovar-Peralta. “I was scared at first because English is my second language, but my classmates and instructors were very supportive and wanted to see me succeed.”
Tovar-Peralta, who now works for Monroe-based Northeast Laser Engraving, celebrated AMTC and the opportunities it provides students. “I thought the manufacturing industry could use a few women,” said Tovar-Peralta. “I was the first of my family to attend college and recently bought my own house. You really can do anything you put your mind to.”
Founded in 2012, the American Manufacturing Hall of Fame is run by local volunteers dedicated to supporting both Bridgeport manufacturing and Housatonic’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center. The Hall of Fame serves to promote positive awareness for advanced manufacturing and to raise funds for educating manufacturing students in association with Housatonic’s AMTC.
For more information about Housatonic Community College, click here.