With thousands of manufacturing jobs to fill in Connecticut now and in the future, and not enough qualified workers to fill them, industry employers, state community colleges and job training agencies are trying to fill the employment pipeline.

Gateway Community College and the New Haven-based Workforce Alliance are about to launch a program that would take unemployed and under-employed workers, provide them with an intensive five-week training course at no cost, and then help them find jobs. 

“We see this as an opportunity to help these people step up and move into a better career," said Bill Villano, president and CEO of Workforce Alliance. "Somebody who graduates from this program will have the same skill level as someone who has been working for a (manufacturer) for at least six to 12 months.”

Read the full story at nhregister.com.