Collins Aerospace Sponsors High-Tech Manufacturing Training Initiatives at Hannaford Career Center | Addison County Economic Development Corporation

May 18, 2021

ROB BIRMINGHAM, ASSOCIATE director for Missile Systems at Collins Aerospace in Vergennes, on Monday visited the Hannaford Career Center to talk about Collins’ support for worker training in Addison County. Pictured are, from left, are David Roberts of the career center, Addison County Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Fred Kenney, Birmingham, and Career Center Director Dana Peterson. Photo credit: Demetrius Borge, ACEDC

Patricia A. Hannaford Career Center
51 Charles Avenue
Middlebury, VT 05753
Dana Peterson, Superintendent
David Roberts, Adult Technical Education Coordinator
P: 802-382-1012 E: droberts@pahcc.org

Innovative high-tech training programs, adult education and STEM activities benefit Addison County, the State of Vermont, and local employers by increasing the pool of highly skilled applicants

Middlebury, Vermont – April 28, 2021 – The Patricia A. Hannaford Career Center (HCC) is pleased to announce that Collins Aerospace, Vergennes, Vermont, has provided HCC and its maker-space, The Makery, $5,000 to support its growing high-tech manufacturing training programs. A portion of these funds was used to purchase a GlowForge Laser Cutter with the remainder of the funds planned for additional equipment purchases that support HCC’s workforce development initiatives. The laser cutter is one of the key components in HCC’s Manufacturing Technology Lab along with a CNC (computer numerical control) wood router and a Haas Mini Mill. HCC’s future plans are to expand on the additive manufacturing capacity of the Career Center by supplementing the number of Prusa 3D Printers it has available.

HCC’s Manufacturing Technology Lab is being integrated into its current daytime programs and will be offered as Adult Education classes in Fall 2021. This initiative will help train the Addison County workforce in high-tech manufacturing equipment, software and other associated technologies. Addison County’s business community is experiencing significant demand for high-tech manufacturing expertise which requires a unique set of skills including proficiency in programming, maintaining, and managing advanced manufacturing equipment as well as knowledge of software programs such as Fusion 360, VCarve, Solidworks, Adobe, and CAD.

“Collins Aerospace, located in Vergennes, is proud to sponsor this Addison County workforce development initiative,” stated Rob Birmingham, Associate Director for Missile Systems. “This collaboration will provide Collins with future employee applicants; and it also builds the training foundation for a High-Tech Manufacturing Center of Excellence in Vermont.”

The GlowForge Laser Cutter precisely cuts a design from a given material using a CAD or similar electronic file to guide it. Addison County has seen a growth in demand from small businesses which has led to a higher demand for use of the equipment and the employees who are trained on these technologies.

Dana Peterson, Superintendent and Director, Hannaford Career Center, reports that a number of manufacturers have contacted the Career Center to collaborate on training and recruiting technically skilled workers to fill well-compensated positions in their industry. “We are poised to be an exceptional resource for workforce development in Addison County, and we want to make our services available to students of a variety of ages (both secondary and adult learners) who want to acquire specific skills that harness thinking, problem-solving, and creating new ways of designing new methods for advancing productivity and effectiveness,” Peterson said in a statement recently. “Our students are highly valued

by industry partners, and we hope this new partnership will provide more opportunities for them to enter the workforce at a highly competitive wage.”

In addition to the industry partners at Collins Aerospace, the Career Center would like to acknowledge the substantial support and collaboration from the Addison County Economic Development Corporation and small business owners such as Dave Cole from Mechanical Advantage, LLC for their support in promoting the value of Career Center opportunities and helping them seek additional grant funding such as a Building Communities Grant offered by the State of Vermont. HCC has also received support from the Vermont Department of Labor to fund an internship program for secondary students to develop specific proficiencies in high-tech manufacturing.

The equipment and resources provided through the Manufacturing Technology Lab will be available to HCC’s Adult Education training programs as well as members of The Makery, a member-based maker-space that operates within HCC’s Adult Ed department. By 2022 the Manufacturing Technology Lab will be integrated into daytime programming including Engineering and Architecture Design, Construction Technology, Industrial Design and Fabrication, and Computer Science and Programming.

About Collins Aerospace

Collins Aerospace is a leader in technologically advanced, intelligent solutions that help to redefine the aerospace and defense industry. We dedicate our capabilities, comprehensive portfolio and expertise to solving customers’ toughest challenges and meeting the demands of the global market. The company employs more than 78,000 people in more than 300 locations worldwide.

About Hannaford Career Center/The Makery

Founded in 1971, the Patricia A. Hannaford Career Center offers programming for both high school and adult students of Addison County, Vermont. The majority of its high school students come from Middlebury, Bristol, and Vergennes. They also enroll students from private schools and high schools in the greater region (Brandon, Rochester), as well as home-schooled students. HCC’s adult programming offers personal and career enrichment with flexible evening and weekend hours. The Makery is a member-based maker-space that operates within HCC’s Adult Ed department utilizing its building and equipment to encourage technical and creative entrepreneurship.

The Patricia A. Hannaford Career Center Regional Technical School District (PAHRTSD) Board is made up of representatives from each of the school districts and from the Workforce Investment Board.

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NOTE TO MEDIA: Representatives from Collins Aerospace and Hannaford Career Center will be holding a photo opportunity and product demonstration on Monday, May 3, 12 to 1:30 p.m. The event will be held at Hannaford Career Center, 51 Charles Avenue, Middlebury, Vermont. Media is welcome to attend. Please RSVP to coordinator@makeryatpahcc.org.