Pratt & Whitney and CCAT Announce New CT Dream It. Do It. Ambassador Program

The Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology Inc. (CCAT) and Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX), announced the launch of the Connecticut. Dream It. Do It. Ambassador Program – a collaboration of talented, young employees who play the role of manufacturing industry ambassadors to area youth.

Pratt & Whitney is the first manufacturer in Connecticut to support the Ambassador Program. Through the new program, Pratt & Whitney employees, typically ages 26 and under, will reach out to primary and secondary school students and deliver a powerful message – that manufacturing is a rewarding career path.

“CCAT strongly believes the Connecticut. Dream It. Do It. Ambassador Program will have a positive impact on attracting young people to careers in manufacturing,” said Elliot Ginsberg, president and chief executive officer, CCAT. “We’re proud to launch this program, on National Manufacturing Day, together with Pratt & Whitney, a global aerospace leader known for supporting collaborations that inspire the next generation of talent and give employees a chance to make a difference in their communities.”

“Pratt & Whitney is proud to collaborate with CCAT to launch the first Connecticut. Dream It. Do It. Manufacturing Ambassador Program, which will empower our employees to help inspire the next generation of advanced manufacturing professionals,” said Danny Di Perna, senior vice president, Operations, Pratt & Whitney. “As we significantly ramp up production output to meet our customer demands, we are hiring in the state and across our global network and will continue to depend on a highly-skilled workforce to remain competitive in the 21st century. We encourage other manufacturers in Connecticut to join this important initiative to attract future talent to our industries.”

Licensed and led by CCAT and funded by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut. Dream It. Do It. is part of The Manufacturing Institute’s nationwide Dream It. Do It. campaign to dispel misconceptions about manufacturing and attract the creative, skilled young people needed to grow the industry.

The Manufacturing Institute promotes the Ambassador Program as a best practice to the national Dream It. Do It. network. According to The Manufacturing Institute President Jennifer McNelly, “Ambassador programs give manufacturers a high impact engagement strategy to improve the talent supply within their community.”