“We fought for this.”
October 27, 2011Sen. Kissel Pleased Asnuntuck CC $$ Included in Jobs Bill
State Senator John A. Kissel today applauded the inclusion of new funding for Asnuntuck Community College in the bipartisan Jobs Bill.
An extra $2.2 Million over two years will be provided to Asnuntuck’s Manufacturing Technology Center.
“We fought for this because we believe in Asnuntuck – this is great news for north-central Connecticut,” Kissel said. “This is a program that works. This is a program that seamlessly transitions students from the classroom to the workforce. It’s a program that meets the needs of businesses who want new employees to be able to hit the ground running. This is a wise investment in Connecticut’s future, and I am glad to see Asnuntuck is being held up as a role model for the rest of the state.”
On October 14. Kissel wrote to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy touting the benefits of the Manufacturing Technology Center and urged that it be taken into account as a way to help grow jobs in Connecticut.
On October 19, Kissel submitted similar written testimony to the Labor and Commerce Committees, urging additional funding and noting that Asnuntuck’s Manufacturing Technology program “should function as a foundation for job training in our state.”
“Asnuntuck students have transitioned successfully to the private sector with the requisite skills to enhance their career goals and to benefit local industry, both short-term and long range,” Kissel added. “While it would be ideal to duplicate the program at college campuses across Connecticut, the need for jobs is now and this facility already exists. Expanding the existing facility and programs at Asnuntuck will address the need for jobs and trained workers immediately.”