Waterbury Mayor Neil M. O’Leary is sending 600 Waterbury middle school students to Naugatuck Valley Community College on Thursday to see “American Made Movie,” a documentary showing the positive economic impact of domestic manufacturing. The video is being offered by NVCC and the Smaller Manufacturers Association in celebration of Manufacturing Month in Connecticut.
“This film is yet another tool to help us focus our students on manufacturing pathway opportunities in today's real world,” said the Mayor. “There are viable alternatives and opportunities out there that don’t include the traditional higher education and we must reinforce a focus on manufacturing if we are going to succeed in the “Buy American” success story. Restoring our prominence in manufacturing is a very high priority for me and I will not rest until it becomes more of a reality.”
“American Made Movie” is the latest documentary from Life Is My Movie Entertainment. The film follows ordinary Americans working to save their livelihoods and support their families and employees by finding new solutions in a global economy that threatens their businesses and way of life.
The public is invited to attend the two viewings at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Thurs., Oct. 10 in the College’s Mainstage Theater. Local manufacturers and community members will comprise the second viewing, which will feature a Q&A panel following the movie.
SMA Executive Director Cyndi Zoldy said she hopes hosting the event will further demonstrate how the SMA is committed to strengthening Waterbury’s manufacturing base and revitalizing the local workforce.
“We would like everyone in the community to have the opportunity see his movie, which really explains what manufacturing means to America and to Waterbury,” Zoldy said. “With our partnership here at NVCC, the SMA is always advocating to best educate students on the real world need for this generation to continue the advancements in the manufacturing industry so they can carry our trade into the next generation.”
NVCC President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D., also believes the movie brings home the importance of local manufacturing, particularly as it pertains to those who have been impacted by the College’s pilot manufacturing program.
“We worked hard to bring funding for an Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center to Waterbury because we understood the important economic opportunity it would bring to the people in our service region, many of whom are in need of good-paying jobs,” said President De Filippis. “We are beginning to see the fruits of our community’s shared labors to make the Center a success, as we graduated 54 students and awarded 113 manufacturing certificates last year. Several of these students have found work. Many of them with the local companies they shadowed while completing their education – companies who came to us with a critical need for skilled workers.”
The College’s manufacturing program was established last year when NVCC built a state-of-the-art manufacturing center and gained 65 partnerships with area manufacturers placing students as interns. NVCC was one of three community colleges chosen for an $18 million grant to prepare workers for manufacturing job openings that demand skilled employees.
The film promises to appeal to any resident interested in bettering the local economy, and those with a connection to the history of Waterbury’s manufacturing legacy.
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