Skill Up

Program Brings Together Teacher and Student

Kysean Kellman of New Haven was working as a photographer in a seasonal position for a large company when he began to reconsider his career path and seek a more stable income.

His high school friend from Eli Whitney Technical High School in Hamden, Dyjah Hunter, a mechanical engineering student at the University of Connecticut and instructor with the Skill Up for Manufacturing program at Gateway Community College (GCC), suggested Kysean consider manufacturing. Hunter gave him an overview of the free five-week program, but his main takeaway from the conversation was that he would be working with metal. Still, Hunter’s enthusiasm for the program, which provides students with entry level industry credentials like OSHA 10 and LEAN Six Sigma, piqued his interest.

Possessing an interest in manufacturing, he decided to take the first step by signing up for the shortterm training, where he would soon learn about quality, parts inspection, and other topics. He found that manufacturing aligned with his long-term goals and was easier on his body, a factor that he considered after studying carpentry and working as a materials handler at Goodwill Industries in Hamden.

Being open to trying new things, having patience and persistence, as well as a hunger for knowledge, Kysean, 19, found Skill Up to be a fit. The class provided reinforcement of complex concepts, taking into account students with differing learning styles to deliver the course content in ways that crystalized new concepts.

Graduates of GCC’s Skill Up for Manufacturing are awarded 175 pre-apprenticeship hours for their training, 90 hours of which are hands-on, working on projects in the Eli Whitney Technical High School machine shop with Louis Roettger, the head of the machining department. Since 2018, the program has graduated twenty-two cohorts. A partnership with Workforce Alliance, GCC, Middlesex Community College, Eli Whitney Technical High School, and Vinal Technical High School, the program is designed to prepare the students with the skills necessary to begin a successful manufacturing career. The next cohort, beginning February 27, is actively recruiting.

Students work on employability skills and receive visits from local manufacturers currently hiring. The experience culminates with a virtual job fair where students meet and connect with employers. Students are prepped on what to expect and how to give a memorable first impression. Kysean found his breakthrough into the industry at Hobson & Motzer where he is employed as a machinist and will be participating in the upcoming CNC Bootcamp at GCC to reach his next goal of working as a CNC operator and programmer.

“Kysean definitely went beyond my expectations. Something I always look for in my students is their willingness to learn. He would often seek extra help when needed to try to grasp the material. It’s important to learn the material and not just memorize answers,” Hunter said.

Program Coordinator Pam Walsh noted that students completing Skill Up training typically leave the program with multiple entry level job offers. She said that she has been particularly impressed with Kysean’s ambition.

Kysean Kellman

“Kysean actively seeks out opportunities to further his knowledge toward a lifelong manufacturing career as a CNC machinist,” Walsh said.

For more information about Skill Up for Manufacturing at Gateway Community College, please call Pam Walsh at (203) 285-2142 or email pwalsh@gatewayct.edu