Zawistowski Joins Legislature’s Manufacturing Caucus

HARTFORD — Manufacturing is a critical sector in the state’s economy, and Rep. Tami Zawistowski today helped kick off this session’s round of meetings aimed providing Connecticut firms big and small with the legislative assistance they need to thrive here.

Zawistowski has joined the legislature’s bipartisan Manufacturing Caucus. Formed in May 2012, the panel has so far focused on initiatives such as: developing strategies to reduce energy costs; enhanced training for incumbent manufacturing employees; encouraging innovation by helping start-ups with access research; and increasing and expanding apprenticeship opportunities in key manufacturing occupations. The group includes roughly 50 legislators as well as 20 or so industry advocates and business representatives.

The caucus includes legislators from every corner of the state, and Friday’s meeting saw several of them describe manufacturers in their region while highlighting issues they’d like to tackle as well as success stories.

Zawistowski, for example, described the successful partnership between Asnuntuck Community College and East Granby High School. That partnership model, she explained, has been expanded to other schools. Zawistowski also described a vibrant grouping of advanced technologies companies in her district, and she talked briefly about the Bradley Development League and using the airport as an engine for economic growth.

Legislators in the caucus discussed the importance of not only supporting manufacturing powerhouses such as Electric Boat in eastern Connecticut, but also small firms that are the breeding ground for the type of ingenuity that remains at the heart of Connecticut manufacturing.

Caucus members agreed Friday to continue the fruitful exploration of expanding manufacturing’s footprint in vocational high school and community college programming.

The group will continue to meet in the coming weeks and offer its ideas to the legislature’s Commerce Committee.