How the State of Connecticut Is Promoting Careers in Manufacturing

In 2019, the State of Connecticut made a bold, forward-thinking move by creating the position of Chief Manufacturing Officer (CMO). This pivotal decision was the culmination of nearly a decade of focused advocacy and political cooperation aimed at supporting the state's significant manufacturing industry and promoting related careers among its residents. This groundbreaking role underscores the state's deep commitment to its industrial sector and its future workforce.

The significance of this action was highlighted at a recent Manufacturing Technology Series East event in Massachusetts. During the "Mission Critical: Workforce 2030" experience, Greg Jones, Director of Strategic Programs and Partnerships with SME, sat down with Paul Lavoie, the outgoing Chief Manufacturing Officer (CMO) for the State of Connecticut, who recently accepted a post as the University of New Haven’s first Vice President of Innovation and Applied Technology. Jones and Lavoie discussed how the CMO position came to be, the key initiatives it oversees, and the impressive results the state is seeing.

Lavoie was Connecticut's second CMO, having been appointed in February 2022, succeeding Colin Cooper, who held the initial two-year commitment after selling his own manufacturing business. Stepping into the office as the new CMO is Kirti Patel, a seasoned expert in advanced manufacturing. Jones and Lavoie's conversation looked back at the formation and impact of the CMO office, and the significance that implementing the position has had as a driver for the state's explosive growth in manufacturing.

The Foundation: A Decade of Manufacturing Advocacy

The groundwork that led up to the position’s creation was essential to building a strong ecosystem of support for the state's manufacturing industry, which, as Lavoie said, is exceptionally concentrated: "When you consider there’s 4,800 manufacturers in our 5,445 square miles, if you swing a wiffle ball bat, you're going to hit one of them."

The work to create this office began over a decade ago:

2012: The Bipartisan Manufacturing Caucus: Connecticut became the first state to establish a bipartisan manufacturing caucus, uniting legislators from both sides of the aisle to champion the sector.

2015: The Manufacturing Innovation Fund: The state legislature created this fund specifically "designed to support the manufacturing sector," providing critical resources for growth and improvement.

2017: All of the state’s manufacturing associations came together to form the Connecticut Manufacturing Collaborative. As Lavoie noted, the Collaborative was instrumental in lobbying the governor and the legislature to establish the CMO role.

2019: This concerted effort culminated in the creation of the Chief Manufacturing Officer role, with Connecticut becoming the first, and so far only, state to create such an office.

Strategic Plan for Explosive Growth

Connecticut’s dedication to this plan has paid significant dividends. Lavoie reported astonishing growth over the last three years: "Connecticut's manufacturing sector has grown by $3 billion,” he said. “We've gone from 10% of the state's GDP to 12.9% of the state’s GDP, and that growth in manufacturing has made Connecticut the 17th fastest-growing economy in the U.S."

This success is driven by a comprehensive strategic plan, which Lavoie's team authors. The plan is built on four core pillars, designed to address the manufacturers’ most pressing problems: the lack of a skilled workforce, fragile supply chains, and the need for innovation. The four components of the Manufacturing Strategic Plan are developing talent, building sustainable companies, driving innovation, and improving collaboration.

Lavoie summarizes their mission simply: "My customers are the 4,800 manufacturers in the state of Connecticut, and my job is to listen to them and then to build systems and programs that are going to help solve their most pressing problems."

Bridging the Divide: Connecting Academia and Industry

A cornerstone of the CMO's strategy is developing talent, and that requires a fundamental change in the relationship between educational institutions and the manufacturing industry. Lavoie and his team work across the entire educational spectrum, from kindergarten through graduate school—or as he quipped, "K through gray."

The goal is to strengthen the bond between academia and industry and help them to work together. “Just yesterday, I kicked off my Monday morning with a roundtable discussion at the University of Hartford.” There, Lavoie met with the university president, the dean, and several manufacturers. “Tomorrow, I'm doing a round table at the University of Connecticut. I was at Quinnipiac University just last week." By coming together, industry leaders can articulate exactly what they need and the universities can showcase their capacity and capabilities.

Nurturing the Pipeline: K-12 Programs

Lavoie also noted his role as Vice Chair of the state’s technical high school system, further demonstrating the investment in career-focused education. To address the talent gap long-term, Connecticut is aiming to change perceptions and build awareness in K-12 education. ReadyCT is a key partner in this effort, a program that provides opportunities in the K-12 space, particularly in "Alliance Districts," which have limited access to resources and services.

One of the most exciting initiatives involves robotics. "We funded a $2.5 million two-year program to fund First Robotics statewide. We now have funding to level the playing field for every program in First Robotics, and the results that we're getting are pretty amazing. We sent seven teams to Nationals from Connecticut. Four of those teams were from Alliance Districts, which are underserved districts. Two of those teams, if they didn't get funding from the state of Connecticut, would have been defunct. They’re state champions, and one of the teams was a rookie team. It was the first time they'd ever participated."

Lavoie highlighted that these programs reveal a "latent talent that we haven’t tapped into in the manufacturing sector," he said. “When you give them an equal opportunity to perform at the same level with other people, they shine, and that’s important,” Lavoie said. “We do career road shows across the state. We do five of them. We're doing one at the Capitol on Thursday. And that career road show is all designed around bringing kids in and introducing them to manufacturing and manufacturing careers.” Lavoie compared the road shows to SME’s Bright Mind Student Summits, which provide hands-on career experiences to students who attend SME’s North American manufacturing events. “We spent an entire generation of telling kids they shouldn't go to work in the trades, and they shouldn't go to work in manufacturing, and we really need to undo that. We're really working hard to let kids know that there's an opportunity and there's a pathway for them. It’s not one path fits all.”

Jones agreed, saying, “Yes, the data says that a four-year college degree is not a fit for everyone. As a country, we’re leaning in that direction, and the evidence says that not all those students graduate and finish college.”

Lavoie added, “The evidence that they don’t graduate is quite staggering when you look at it. Yeah, just because you go into a career out of high school, or you go into a two-year program doesn’t mean you’re not going to go back to college.” He shared his own education path, which included a return to education after starting a career, in which he attended night school. “I was paying for it myself, and so I needed to work. And that was just my pathway, and that's just the way it worked. But I think that's the message for every kid out there is that find your pathway, and that pathway at some point is always going to include education,” said Lavoie.

“Absolutely,” said Jones. “We still do need engineers, and they do need a four-year degree, so that's important.” Jones pointed to robotics programs as a great place to capture students’ attention. “The interesting thing about those teams is that it’s not just builders and engineers and those types of folks, but there are team members that are assigned marketing and sponsorships, and other things, so they’re learning business skills as well, and that’s what I like about First,” Jones said.

Lavoie agreed and shared an anecdote that occurred at a recent robotics competition. “I was at an event, and a kid sat down next to me, and he looks at me and he goes. ‘Sir, do you mind if I use my phone?’” With that question, Lavoie’s reaction was, “I like this kid already!” Lavoie went on to describe how the student was watching the competition and feverishly taking notes, so Lavoie asked the student what his role was. Lavoie said the student responded that he was the Chief Strategist. “‘I watch and see how other teams are playing in the game, and then I come back, and I set the strategy for how our team is going to play.’” Lavoie said he looked at him and asked, “Do you want a job? Can I hire you right now?”

Lavoie’s ultimate vision for normalizing these careers is clear. For example, he wants to see robotics achievements celebrated on the same level as traditional sports programs. He recalled seeing a First Robotics championship banner hanging in a high school gym next to the sports banners. He said, “When we start hanging banners up in school gyms for these kids and putting them on the same par with athletic things, then I know we're doing something because these kids are finding their sport."

The ultimate goal, Lavoie stressed, is to normalize all career paths: "We say, listen, going into a career just means you're choosing a different path. It's not better or worse. It's just a different path. And we've got to put it all on a level playing field for these kids."

Small Shoulders: Big Lift

In addition to helping young students find their strength in the manufacturing industry, Lavoie’s office is also helping its small-in-geography state earn its place among the nation’s manufacturing giants. Connecticut's geographic size belies its massive importance to the national defense industry, a sector that is a major focus for the CMO’s office.

"What most people don't know is we're number one in the country in aircraft engine and airplane parts manufacturing,” Lavoie said. The state is also number two in shipbuilding and number four in Department of Defense program spending behind California, Texas, and Virginia. “Again, we're the 48th largest state, so we’re this little, tiny state sitting on the east coast, but we punch well above our weight class when it comes to defense manufacturing." Lavoie noted that Connecticut is responsible for manufacturing the engine for the F135 fighter, nuclear submarines, and helicopters. He said Senator Richard Blumenthal even calls the state the "arsenal of democracy."

The state’s defense strategy, supported by the Connecticut Defense Manufacturing Community Collaborative, focuses on two key areas: driving innovation and digital transformation. The CMO’s office is working with federal grants and partners like the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology on initiatives that include digital transformation and accelerating the adoption of additive manufacturing, automation, and AI.

Without question, the most critical challenge in defense is the workforce deficit. Lavoie cited the National Association of Manufacturers' study predicting a 2 million job deficit by 2030, stating, "We also have to come to grips with the fact that we're never going to have enough people to get the work done that we need to get done."

Connecticut’s strategy is not to replace people but to augment them with technology. Lavoie said, "Connecticut has a plan to full employment in the manufacturing sector, and that really focuses a lot on robotics and automation and AI and Internet of Things—and really getting machines to do the work for people that we're never going to have.” Lavoie stresses that the initiative is geared at upskilling the workforce into better-paying jobs that are augmented with automation.

Lavoie stresses that for a state that builds 100 percent of the Columbia class submarines and 50 percent of the Virginia class submarines, the industry’s health is critical to the economy’s health. Solving the workforce problem requires a dual focus: combining talent development with innovation. Lavoie concluded, "Either one of them isn't going to solve the problem on its own."

The State of Connecticut’s journey to creating the Chief Manufacturing Officer role provides a powerful model for other states looking to support and grow their industrial base. By building on a foundation of political will, focusing on a clear strategic plan, and aggressively connecting education to industry needs, Connecticut is not just addressing its current workforce challenges, but actively securing its future as a powerhouse of modern, high-tech manufacturing.

To learn more, watch the full interview below.