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| Goodwin College President Mark Scheinberg, left, and Congressman John Larson (D-CT), center, present IAM Headquarters General Vice President Rich Michalski, right, with a certificate commemorating the new Richard P. Michalski Scholarship program. |
IAM Headquarters General Vice President Rich Michalski joined Congressman John Larson (D-CT), Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy and Goodwin College President Mark Scheinberg in launching a new certification program.
The Goodwin Certified Production Technician (CPT) program, which Michalski helped craft, is designed to sustain and protect jobs in Connecticut by helping students to obtain good-paying jobs in the manufacturing industry. Thousands of positions are available, as Baby Boomers retire.
“These programs are a win-win for everyone in the community and Connecticut,” said Michalski in a new IAM video. “In the future, when employers say, ‘Should I be here or shouldn’t I be here in Connecticut?’ The answer is going to be a loud and resounding, ‘I want to be in Connecticut because we have the best, the most efficient, the most quality-conscious workers in the country. That’s our goal.”
The CPT program has already begun with a pilot class of students that includes instruction by industry veterans.
Machinists from IAM Local Lodge 743, including David Mackey and Roger Nadean, have already taken the class and become certified. They are now eligible to become adjunct instructors in the future.
“It’s not about reinventing the wheel, because there are training programs everywhere,” said Michalski. “This is about polishing the diamond. The diamond is Connecticut. The diamond is the citizens of Connecticut and we want to be associated with that.”
After Michalski was presented with a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for his work, Goodwin College surprised him by announcing the establishment of the new Richard P. Michalski Scholarship program.
Click here to watch the video.
