MakerspaceCT Receives $350,000 Hartford Foundation Grant to Support Manufacturing Training Program for Greater Hartford High School Students

Manufacturing accounts for about 160,000 jobs in Connecticut, just over a third of which are in the advanced fields of shipbuilding, aerospace, and medical devices. While those jobs make up just 3.1 percent of the state labor force, they have an outsized impact on the economy. Manufacturing is also a pathway to the middle class that does not require a four-year college degree. This is particularly true for workers of color—who represent a disproportionate share of those without a college diploma. According to 2023 data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 18.1 percent of the manufacturing field identifies as Hispanic or Latine and only 10.8 percent identify as Black or African American. 

Connecticut manufacturer Electric Boat is looking to increase hiring to meet a demanding shipbuilding pace. Electric Boat and other manufacturers are challenged by an aging workforce with many experienced employees nearing retirement. A recent report conducted by Ernst & Young with manufacturing consultancy CONNSTEP found that, absent coordinated efforts to invest in new technology and train the next-generation workforce, Connecticut could soon lose much of its advanced manufacturing business to other states. 

MakerspaceCT’s Engineering Primer Program (EPP) seeks to address the goal of providing training for high-quality jobs in underserved and vulnerable communities, supporting regional economies, and closing the access gap in manufacturing and technology. The program achieves these goals by delivering a dynamic set of skills and abilities to high school students so that they have the necessary tools to secure careers in the future. To support this work, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving has awarded a $350,000 grant to MakerspaceCT to support its EPP initiative.

EPP prepares Greater Hartford high school students for entry level manufacturing and engineering jobs. Participants gain practical knowledge that can lead to industry recognized credentials and workforce opportunities. The program provides participating youth with the kind of hands-on experience with state-of-the-art technology and skills that manufacturing companies like Electric Boat are seeking. 

"Our assessments show that our students gained knowledge and confidence in creating and fabricating their own project ideas using cutting-edge technology,” said MakerspaceCT Education Director Cole Grosner. “This increase is directly applicable to skills needed in the manufacturing workplace that is desperately looking for talented new employees. This grant is essential to open up opportunities to elevate and empower high school students to explore and enter the workforce pipeline or advance technical education."

Over one year, the program will offer four ten-week sessions comprised of ten students where they receive 60 hours of hands-on, project-based engagement. The program incorporates frequent assessments that are used to inform the needs of the student to successfully complete the program. If a student demonstrates the need for additional instruction, they are offered time outside class to work individually with a teacher’s assistant during lab hours. 

Students will be trained and demonstrate competence in the following engineering skill sets: 

• Create sketches and translate them into digital models. 
• Produce models using computer aided design (CAD).
• Develop prototypes using the latest processes in the 3D printing industry. 
• Create 3D printed objects, troubleshoot and repair 3D printing equipment. 
• Apply post-processing methods. 
• Demonstrate basic electrical circuits.
• Fabricate a circuit using proper soldering skills.

Graduating students receive a certificate of completion, a digital portfolio of accomplishments, and a list of industry recognized accreditations. 

“The Hartford Foundation is pleased to provide this grant to MakerspaceCT to support this innovative program to provide students with access to manufacturing and engineering programming during the school year,” said Hartford Foundation Community Impact Officer Alexis Safo-Agyeman. “MakerspaceCT has positioned itself as a skill development center for the Greater Hartford’s next generation of makers, manufacturers, entrepreneurs, and students. Like all of its programming, the Engineering Primer Program takes a multifaceted approach to skill development, community engagement, and can make a significant contribution to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the manufacturing field.”

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for Hartford and 28 surrounding towns. Through partnerships, the Foundation seeks to strengthen communities in Greater Hartford by putting philanthropy in action to dismantle structural racism and achieve equity in social and economic mobility. Made possible by the gifts of generous individuals, families and organizations, the Foundation has awarded grants of more than $998 million since its founding in 1925. For more information, visit www.hfpg.org or call 860-548-1888.