Free STEM/Advanced Manufacturing & Technology Expo For Students Thurs., Nov. 20 in Waterbury, Conn

WATERBURY, Conn. - Nov. 19, 2013 - PRLog -- The Waterbury Regional Chamber’s Manufacturing Council will host the 2013 STEM/Advanced Manufacturing & Technology Expo on Thursday, November 21 from 8 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Coco-Key Water Resort, Hotel and Convention Center at 3580 East Main Street in Waterbury. With support from the Waterbury Board of Education and Granville Academy, more than 1,000 middle and high school from throughout the Waterbury/Southington/Farmington Valley region are anticipated to attend the EXPO to meet and network with local area manufacturing and technology firms. Admission is free and open to the public.

“The ambition of the Expo is to provide an opportunity for students to directly engage with local manufacturing firms to learn about job and career opportunities from leaders in the manufacturing arena,” stated Rich Dupont, chairman of the Waterbury Regional Chamber’s Manufacturing Council. The Expo will feature interactive manufacturing and technology company exhibits and demonstrations, and will provide opportunities to learn about job opportunities and career paths in the manufacturing and technology sectors in Connecticut (STEM=Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).

Lynn Ward, Waterbury Regional Chamber President and CEO commented, “This is the third annual STEM/Advanced Manufacturing & Technology Expo our Manufacturing Council is coordinating. In 2012, the Expo attracted over 700 students who interacted with exhibitors throughout the day-long Expo. It was very encouraging and exciting to see so many young students genuinely interested in learning all they could about careers in the manufacturing arena. There is a great need for skilled, talented professionals to enter this vibrant and expanding industry.”

During the Expo, students, parents, and school guidance counselors are offered the opportunities to speak directly with representatives from various segments of the manufacturing arena in Connecticut. “Frequently,” commented Dupont, “we learn that a manufacturing representative becomes a guiding role model for students which innately connects them with members of America’s future workforce.”

A program of the Waterbury Regional Chamber the Expo’s top sponsors are the College of Technology’s Next Generation Manufacturing Center and the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT), Inc. Host sponsor is CoCo Key Water Resort Hotel and Convention Center. Silver sponsors are the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board (NRWIB), and Goodwin College. Brass sponsors are Bentley Systems, Inc., Cly-Del Manufacturing Company and Hubbard-Hall. Supporting organizations are Granville Academy of Waterbury and the Smaller Manufacturers Association (SMA). Copper sponsors are H&T Waterbury, Marion Manufacturing Company, People’s United Bank, Traver IDC, Stewart EFI, Ulbrich Stainless Steels & Special Metals, Inc.

One of the largest chambers in Connecticut, the Waterbury Regional Chamber (www.waterburychamber.com) currently boasts a membership of over 1,100 businesses in the Greater Waterbury region including Beacon Falls, Bethlehem, Cheshire, Middlebury, Naugatuck, Oakville, Oxford, Prospect, Southbury, Thomaston, Waterbury, Watertown, Wolcott, and Woodbury.

To learn more, visit www.waterburychamber.com, call 203-757-0701, or email to info@waterburychamber.com.