WINSTED, CT – May 24, 2022 – The Entrepreneurial Center at Northwestern Connecticut Community College is pleased to announce its next Small Business Seminar, a Maker Event: From Vector to Venture: How to turn your Designs into a Business. The event, presented by the NCCC Entrepreneurial Center in partnership with Northwest Hills Council of Governments, Stepcraft, and S.C.O.R.E., will be held on June 14, 2022 from 5:30-8:30 pm at Stepcraft – 151 Field Street, Torrington CT 06790.

This seminar will teach attendees how to take custom vectors (a type of line drawing) they’ve created and turn them into products they can sell in their own cottage business. Participants will learn about automatic tool changing, vacuum table components for clamp-free milling, and they’ll learn how to create their own acrylic lighted sign with their custom vectors using V-Carve – a free-to-try 3D Computerized Numerical Control (CNC) program. This free seminar will give attendees the training they need to start manufacturing their own products using any consumer-grade 3-axis CNC machine.

From Vector to Venture: How to turn your Designs into a Business, will be taught by Erick Royer, CEO of Stepcraft, a US made 3-axis CNC machine manufacturer based in Torrington, CT. Erick has decades of experience in the maker community, small business development, video and magazine publishing, and rapid prototyping.

For more information, or to register to attend this free Small Business Seminar Maker Event by Northwest Startup, please contact John Fiorello, Entrepreneurial Center Director, at 860-738-6444 or online at www.nwcc.edu/sbs

WINSTED, CT – May 5, 2022 – The Office of Workforce Development at Northwestern Connecticut Community College is pleased to announce a second, in-person, DEEP Safe Boating Course beginning May 31, at 6:00 pm.

In this 3-evening class, a Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) instructor will teach everything a prospective boater would need to know in order to obtain their Safe Boating Certificate. Topics will include typical boat operation, proper water navigation, state and federal regulations, and how to handle emergencies on the water.

Successful completion of this class will qualify students to purchase a Certificate of Personal Watercraft Operation via the Online Sportsmen Licensing System, allowing individuals to operate any recreational vessel up to 65ft in length.

Classes will be held in-person on May 31, June 1, and June 2, from 6:00 pm-9:00 pm, in the Art & Science Building, Room 205. The cost for the program is $25. Students MUST register, pay, and obtain their free CRN number prior to attending the course. For details, or to register, please visit www.nwcc.edu/boating.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 

WINSTED, CT – May 2, 2022 – The Entrepreneurial Center at Northwestern Connecticut Community College is pleased to announce their next Small Business Seminar, which will be a Maker Event: Turning Ideas Into Products With V-Carve. The event, presented by the NCCC Entrepreneurial Center in partnership with The Norfolk Hub, Northwest Hills Council of Governments, Stepcraft, and S.C.O.R.E., will take place on May 31, 2022, from 5:30-8:30 pm at the Norfolk Hub – 2 Station Place, Norfolk, CT 06058.

This seminar will teach aspiring makers how to take their creative ideas and turn them into physical products that can be milled, printed, or lasered with a consumer-grade Computerized Numerical Control (CNC) machine. Attendees will learn how to use V-Carve (a free-to-try 3D program) to take text, images, patterns, and shapes, and convert them into tool paths that can be cut, etched, lasered, or milled on a 3-axis CNC machine. In addition to learning the basic features of V-Carve, attendees will have the opportunity to see their creation physically milled and will be able to retrieve their finished product at a follow-up maker event on June 14, where they will learn how to use their creations to start a cottage business.

Turning Ideas Into Products With V-Carve will be taught by Erick Royer, CEO of Stepcraft, a US made 3-axis CNC machine manufacturer based in Torrington, CT. Erick has decades of experience in the maker community, small business development, video and magazine publishing, and rapid prototyping.

For more information, or to register to attend this free Small Business Seminar Maker Event by Northwest Startup, please contact John Fiorello, Entrepreneurial Center Director, at 860-738-6444 or online at www.nwcc.edu/sbs.

WINSTED, CT – April 21, 2022 – The Entrepreneurial Center at Northwestern Connecticut Community College is pleased to announce their next Small Business Seminar: 90-Day Planning Workshop. The event, presented by Northwest Startup in partnership with The Norfolk Hub, Northwest Hills Council of Governments, and S.C.O.R.E., will take place on May 4, 2022, from 5:30-8:30 pm at the Norfolk Hub – 2 Station Place, Norfolk, CT 06058.

This seminar will help small business owners develop a step-by-step process to map out instructive plans for the next three months of their business. Attendees will learn how to identify their key resources and break down their large-scale business goals into manageable, tangible steps. In addition to learning methodologies, a robust group Q&A will afford small business owners and entrepreneurs the chance to address their most significant business challenges with the instructor and the peer group.

90-Day Planning Workshop will be taught by David Olchowski, a small business mentor with 15 plus years of experience in executive leadership roles where he helped businesses mentor their talent, build great teams, and deliver bottom-line results.

For more information, or to register to attend this free Small Business Seminar presented by Northwest Startup, please contact John Fiorello, Entrepreneurial Center Director, at 860-738-6444 or online at www.nwcc.edu/sbs.

WINSTED, CT – April 20, 2022 – Are you beginning your college search or considering a place to continue your college education? Look no further than Northwestern Connecticut Community College (NCCC) to find high quality instruction at a reasonable cost. Northwestern will be holding its Spring Open House on Wednesday, April 27, at 6:00 p.m. in the Founders Hall Auditorium.

The program begins with a welcome from Northwestern’s President, Dr. Michael Rooke. A current NCCC student will touch on the opportunities their Northwestern education can provide and an admissions representative will discuss the college enrollment process. First time college students can come to hear how to qualify for PACT, a debt free community college program (ct.edu/PACT).

At 6:30 p.m., an academic and student services resource fair will be held in the adjacent Draper Conference Center. Prospective students will be able to meet faculty and staff to discuss courses, programs of study, the admissions process and career and transfer opportunities. Also, at 6:30 p.m., students interested in Veterinary Technology, Nursing, Fine Arts and Team Success Scholars programs will be able to attend presentations and tours. Attendees will learn why NCCC is the best choice for an excellent and affordable education.

The Spring Open House is free and open to the public. Registration and parking information can be found at www.nwcc.edu/openhouse-2/. Pre-Registration is recommended and for further information, please contact the Admissions Office at (866)526-6008 or email admissions@nwcc.edu.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 

WINSTED, CT – April 4, 2022 – The Office of Workforce Development at Northwestern Connecticut Community College will offer an in-person Microsoft Office Training Course beginning May 3rd, 2022.

This course will focus on integrating comprehensive computing skills as a means of introducing students to the knowledge, skills, and techniques necessary to achieve proficiency in the Microsoft Office software suite. Exposure to computer operating systems, file management operations, computer concepts, and vocabulary are included as integral elements to understanding the software applications environment.

Students will examine productivity and computing procedures in the workplace and academic settings, enhance their computer skills, and be able to critically apply these skills in various situations.

Classes will be held in-person, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9am-12pm from May 3 through June 7. The cost for the program is $950.

For more information, or to register for this program, please visit nwcc.edu/msoffice.

WINSTED, CT_ Northwestern Connecticut Community College is happy to announce the gallery at Founders Hall will reopen to the public on Monday, April 4, when COVID restrictions are lifted on campus.

The gallery will host a closing reception on Thursday, April 7, 4 to 7 p.m. for Wendy Briggs Powell, a mixed-media artist based in New Hampshire. The exhibit, Watermarks, Fluid Color, which features numerous works of saturated hues and juxtaposed textures, opened to the campus community on March 3.

Powell’s work is about the relationship between taking control and letting go. Her unique process involves submerging sheets of paper in vats of dye to create abstract color fields. Different forms and marks emerge organically as the dyes dry. She then embellishes the pieces with slick coats of resin or intricate stitches of thread. It’s a messy endeavor, but she finds beauty in the unruly.

“Every time a variable is introduced or altered, the piece changes,” she said. “This process mirrors the way I understand my own emotional life, and the end product reflects the beauty I find there, in all its imperfection.”

To learn more about the artist’s work, visit her website at wendybriggspowell.com. For more information about the exhibit and reception, contact Deb Kline at dkline@nwcc.edu.

Winsted, CT – The Office of Workforce Development at Northwestern Connecticut Community College will offer a Free Pre-Manufacturing Certificate April 18 through June 15th, 2022. Students will have the opportunity to earn one OSHA10 card, two industry-recognized NIMS certifications, and three college credits.

The course will start with OSHA10 training, where students will earn their OSHA10 Certification for General Industry. OSHA 10 will meet Monday, April 18, 5 to 9:30 p.m. and Tuesday, April 19, and Thursday, April 21, 5 to 8:30 p.m. at Northwestern, Greenwoods Hall, Room 306. The OSHA10 course is designed to familiarize workers with OSHA standards as well as safety and health hazards common to the workplace.

The second phase of the course will take place at both Oliver Wolcott Technical High School, 75 Oliver Street, Torrington and at the Northwestern campus. On Mondays, starting April 25th, students will meet at the technical school in the Manufacturing Lab from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. where they will learn basic benchwork, as well as manufacturing concepts, math, and measurement skills. On Wednesdays, starting April 27th, students will meet at Northwestern, Greenwoods Hall, Room 306 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. to learn blueprint reading. These classes will run through the week of June 15, 2022.

The classes will offer an industry-recognized credential of NIMS Benchwork and Layout, and Measurement, Materials, and Safety and will give students a competitive advantage in securing employment in manufacturing. The only required prerequisites are interest in working in manufacturing and high school level reading and math skills. All required texts will be included with the training.

This free program is funded by the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board. Students will need to provide photo identification, birth certificate, proof of high school completion, and an application. Registration will be required.

For more information and to register for this program, please contact Laura McCarthy, Program Coordinator, at either 860-738-6351 or lmccarthy@nwcc.edu.

WINSTED, CT – March 14, 2022 – The Office of Workforce Development at Northwestern Connecticut Community College is pleased to announce the resumption of the in-person DEEP Safe Boating Course, beginning April 11, 2022.

In this three-evening class, a Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) instructor will teach everything a prospective boater would need to know in order to obtain a Safe Boating Certificate. Topics will include typical boat operation, proper water navigation, state and federal regulations, and how to handle emergencies on the water.

Successful completion of this class will qualify students to purchase a Certificate of Personal Watercraft Operation via the Online Sportsmen Licensing System, allowing individuals to operate any recreational vessel up to 65 feet in length.

Classes will be held in-person on April 11, 13, and 14, from 6:00 pm -9:00 pm in Greenwoods Hall, Room 128. The cost for the program is $25. Students MUST register, pay, and obtain their free CRN number prior to attending the course. For details or to register, please visit www.nwcc.edu/boating.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>