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History of the Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing (RCNGM)

The idea for the Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing (RCNGM) resulted through the success of the Connecticut College of Technology (CCOT), a virtual college program connecting engineering and technical training among Connecticut's 12 community colleges. The RCNGM has created a seamless pathway, with no barriers or loss of earned credits, for students transitioning from a two-year program/college to a four-year program at partnering colleges and universities within the state of Connecticut.

Through the RCNGM pathway, curriculum programs have been designed to allow students to retain course credits earned in a two-year community college and apply those earned credits toward engineering and technical training at partnering Connecticut colleges and universities, including Central Connecticut State University, the University of Hartford, University of Connecticut, Fairfield University, University of New Haven and Charter Oak College.

Subsequently, the RCNGM was able to develop articulation agreements with the state's technical high schools, which created a pathway for students in Connecticut's technical high schools to transition to any one of Connecticut's community colleges.

The RCNGM has also collaborated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA) in developing marketing campaigns, curriculum and professional development opportunities for faculty through a National Science Foundation ATE project grant.  This collaboration supports the pipeline from the technical high schools to the community colleges carrying on RCNGM's mission of helping to better prepare the next generation manufacturing workforce to fit the demands of business and industry.

The need to design, create and then strengthen partnerships between the educational community and business and industry was a logical step in promoting the necessary training to address the need for more highly skilled workers in the tumultuous manufacturing environment.


The Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing is funded through a grant from the National Science Foundation Advanced Technology Education program. Copyright 2005. All rights reserved.