Sikorsky’s Vice President, Operations & Product Centers George D. Mitchell, Jr. , Yale New Haven System/ Bridgeport & Greenwich Hospital’s Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Melissa Turner and Key Bank Market President Jeff Hubbard are among the panel of experts slated to provide industry perspectives and launch discussion and problem solving during the Regional Workforce Summit at Housatonic Community College (HCC) on April 21, 2017, from 8:00 a.m. -12:30, Beacon Hall Events Center, 875 Broad Street, Bridgeport, CT 06604. Registration is required by phone at 203-332-5057 or via the link below.

As Workforce Summit host and driving force, HCC has a long-standing reputation for working with industry partners to keep pace with changing needs. The College is collaborating with The Workplace, Connecticut Department of Labor, educators, employers and philanthropic foundations to create a broad range of initiatives to enhance workforce development in Southwest Connecticut.

The Workforce Summit is focused on making stronger connections between industry and education and building a stronger workforce. The program will engage attendees in group discussions to address the common skills that employers require to operate and grow their businesses, and that individuals need for workplace success. The Workforce Summit will specifically target Southwest Connecticut and assist participants as they: 

• Describe the major workforce challenges facing Southwest Connecticut
• Discuss effective sector-specific initiatives or solutions to resolve workforce challenges
• Identify strategies to address challenges in manufacturing, healthcare, education, information technology, business, and green technology sectors
• Prioritize the identified strategies to resolve the region’s workforce challenges

According to Associate Dean of Continuing and Professional Education, John Bonaguro, skill gaps exist between what workers know and what employers need. “Employers and workers have a common fear that the cost of college will prevent many people from getting the degrees they need to satisfy an increasingly sophisticated job market.”

U.S. Labor Statistics as well as the Harvard Business School, Accenture and Burning Glass study, Bridge the Gap: Rebuilding America’s Middle Skills show many workers remain unemployed and/or underemployed, even though a wide variety of employers across all industries find it difficult to fill open positions. Dr. Bonaguro adds, “The Workforce Summit is just one way Housatonic Community College is zeroing in on what’s going on in our communities. We’re inviting business, industry, school districts, civic organizations, universities, as well as local governments and anyone else interested in creating effective options to join us.”