Career Bus Coming to Ansonia

Looking for a Summer Job?

SEYMOUR - LOOKING FOR A JOB? Seymour Recreation is looking for Camp Counselors, Head Counselor and Art Coordinator for its Summer Camp program.

Not yet old enough to apply? CIT (Counselors in Training) might be for you. (Open to
Seymour Residents only) Want experience? Love kids?  If you answered yes to both, check out The New Seymour Summer Camp CIT program!  Click here to apply for the above: https://seymourct.myrec.com/…/activit…/program_details.aspx…

Seymour Recreation is also accepting applications now for:
Lifeguards & Swim Instructors

Click here to apply: https://imageserv11.team-logic.com/…/Seymour_Job_Applicatio…

HomeGoods to Open in Marshall's Store in Ansonia

ANSONIA - HomeGoods, a global leader in discount home furnishings and decor will make its grand debut inside the existing Marshall’s store downtown next month.

According to a company press release, renovations to the Marshalls and HomeGoods combo store, located at 405 Main St. in the Big Y shopping plaza, are nearing completion.

A grand opening celebration has been scheduled for 8 a.m. Oct. 5.

Company officials said the remodel will feature a common entrance with “two distinct store environments on either side of the building allowing customers the added convenience of shopping both stores.”

With the addition of HomeGoods, company officials said they expect to fill 15 additional full and part-time positions. 

 

Derby Public Lirbrary Hosts Summer Events

DERBY- The Derby Public Library welcomes Shawn Peterson, author of PEZ: From Austrian

Invention to American Icon, on Monday, July 24 at 6:30 PM.  

 

Shawn is the company archivist and historian at PEZ Candy, Orange, CT where he also manages the visitor center.  Come and learn how receiving Pez dispensers in Easter baskets and Christmas stockings as a kid, led to becoming his life’s work, 26 years later.  PEZ brand is available in over 80 countries, selling more than 65 million dispensers annually and inspiring collectors and fans worldwide.  Join the world’s first and only official PEZ historian for an inside look at the world’s most cherished interactive candy.  Copies of the book will be available for purchase. 

 

Registration is requested.  For more information, stop by the Library at 313 Elizabeth St. or call 203 736-1482 or visit www.derbypubliclibrary.org.

 

The Derby Public Library has scheduled its next Lunchtime Book Discussion for

Wednesday, July 26 at 12:30 PM.  The selected title is the compelling novel Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly.  

 

Spanning more than twenty years in the lives of three women and based on real people and events, Kelly’s debut novel brings historical facts to life.Caroline is a former Broadway actress and New York socialite who works with the French consulate.  Herta is an ambitious young German doctor, and Kasia is a 15-year-old Polish girl just getting involved in the resistance.  As WWII progresses, circumstances draw these women together, resulting in a story that will linger well after the book ends.  

 

The author will skype in for the discussion. 

 

Dessert and beverages will be provided.  Registration is requested.  For more information, stop by the Library at 313 Elizabeth St. or call203 736-1482 or visit www.derbypubliclibrary.org.  

 

The American Job Search Career Coach returns to the Derby Public Library on Friday,

July 21 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.  

 

During both the morning session, 10-12, and the  afternoon session, 1-3, instructors will be offering the class, Using Social Networking in Your Job Search.  Both sessions will explain very useful tools that job seekers need today.  Social Networking has become one of the most popular ways of landing your next “big” job by creating useful connections on-line.  These connections make it easier to look for a job on-line through your created network.  The classes are free and open to the public. 

Registration is requested but walk-ins will be welcomed on a first come first served basis.  The American Job Search Career Coach is operated by Career Resources.  For more information, stop by the Library at 313 Elizabeth St. or call 736-1482 or visit www.derbypubliclibrary.org.

 

(This is a press release from Derby Public Library)

Malloy touts success of jobs program at Seymour event

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy speaks Monday at Microboard Processing, Inc. in Seymour. Stay tuned for a story in the New Haven Register. 

Gentile hails manufacturing initiative

HARTFORD - State Rep. Linda M. Gentile, D-Ansonia, today applauded one of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s legislative priorities – the creation of an Advanced Manufacturing Fund, which will receive an initial investment of $25 million to help companies modernize and grow, purchase equipment and develop new technologies, and provide access to training and specialized education for workers. 

Linda M. Gentile

“This comes at a critical time because job creation must be our top priority,” Gentile said. 

“The idea helps our manufacturers find trained and educated workers and state-of-the-art equipment to operate on a level playing field with their competitors and help them obtain the capital to grow and expand.”

Historic manufacturing hubs

A key component of the proposal is to give priority to companies that locate in the 42 communities that are historic manufacturing hubs in Connecticut, such as Ansonia and Derby.  

This provision is expected to have a positive impact on local economic development and help lower the high unemployment rates in some of the state’s most distressed communities.

“Incentives like this and a strong network between investors and the state can transform Connecticut into a center of innovation that can be a magnet for entrepreneurs, talented people and great ideas to take root,” said Gentile, House Chair of the Environment Committee.

 “Not only is this initiative sound economic policy, but it most certainly is responsible and balanced environmental policy, as well.  Let's put our previous manufacturing properties back onto our tax rolls, and protect and preserve open space and pristine land.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Connecticut's manufacturing industry’s annual output rose 5 percent over the last two years and exceeds $24 billion or 10.5 percent of the state’s Gross State Product.

The manufacturing industry employs 159,200 people, representing nearly 10 percent of the state’s total non-farm jobs.

This is a press release from Gentile's office.

Gentile applauds legislative goals

State Rep. Linda M. Gentile, D-Ansonia, and House Majority Leader Joe Aresimowitz, center, listen to Senate President Don Williams explain some of the Democratic goals. / Contributed photo

State Rep. Linda M. Gentile, D-Ansonia, recently joined with Democratic leadership in Hartford to unveil a jobs and small business agenda for the 2014 legislative session, focusing on employment and job training, cutting red tape, and growing new markets by establishing social benefit corporations.

“Anything we can do to help small businesses will be helpful for our local economy and will create jobs,” Gentile said. “These programs have proven to be extremely effective and helpful. We’ve taken what works and made it better and used the feedback we've received directly from business owners across the state to take these programs to the next level thereby making them easier to use and faster to process.”

The jobs and small business agenda unveiled today addresses business concerns, building on pro-business public policy initiatives enacted by the legislature over the past several years.   

Democrats from both the House and Senate are now proposing:

• Re-capitalizing Connecticut’s highly successful STEP-Up program, which offers employers who hire an unemployed worker either a wage subsidy to help pay a new employee’s salary for the first six months, or provides a six-month training grant. Since its creation in October 2011, more than 2,000 unemployed people have been hired under STEP-Up in jobs like CNC operators, graphic designers, tool makers, welders, press operators, masons and engine builders. But the program needs a new infusion of capital; the original $20 million budget is down to $2.5 million, approximately enough to meet program demand through April.
• Implementing new school-to-job programs such as an accelerated certificate program (12 months) combining basic education and technical and career training; an I-Best program for adult students lacking a GED which combines GED preparation with real-world skills training; and an Advanced Manufacturing Certificate Program, where students combine paid work and college level study towards the attainment of an associate’s degree.
• Cutting Red Tape by pre-permitting business development, renovation or new construction by pre-approving zoning and environmental reviews in order to save businesses time and money. The program would be based on New York’s ‘Empire State Development’s Build Now,’ where communities select and prepare sites for specifically targeted economic development, reducing the time normally needed to develop a site.

• Establishing ‘social benefit corporations,’ a new type of corporation intended to use a portion of its profits to benefit society or the environment without fear of shareholder action. 16 states have enacted similar legislation, including Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Vermont. Examples of social benefit corporations include Cabot Creamery, King Arthur Flour, Seventh Generation household products and Patagonia clothing.

This is a press release from Gentile's office.

Crisco supports Malloy's UConn initiative

Plan would yield top-tier research university

HARTFORD – State Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, D-Woodbridge, a University of Connecticut alumnus and former trustee, voted Saturday with an overwhelming majority of his Senate colleagues to approve Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s Next Generation Connecticut proposal.

The proposal would expand science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) academic and research programs at the state’s flagship university.

Crisco said over the next 10 years the initiative would develop a highly skilled Connecticut workforce, stimulate economic growth in the state, and create jobs.

“This ‘next generation’ proposal will build upon Connecticut’s strengths and successful in-state industries by training a technologically advanced workforce and attracting research funding and private sector investment alike,” Crisco said. “The foresight built into this plan will yield a preeminent, nationally recognized center for 21^st century higher learning.”

The plan authorizes $1.55 billion in new bonding over the next 10 years, positioning the university to hire innovative faculty, build new facilities and enroll thousands of additional talented students. 

Specifics of the plan include:

• Hiring 259 new faculty members (of which 200 will be in STEM).
• Enrolling an additional 6,580 talented undergraduate students.
• Building STEM facilities to house materials science, physics, biology, engineering, cognitive science, genomics and related disciplines.
• Constructing new STEM teaching laboratories.
• Creating a premier STEM Honors program.
• Upgrading aging infrastructure to accommodate new faculty and students.
• Expanding digital media and risk management degree programs in Stamford.
• Relocating the Greater Hartford Campus to downtown Hartford.

Crisco said over the next 10 years, UConn’s expansion and focus on STEM is expected to attract $270 million for research and more than $500 million in business activity to Connecticut. 

The proposal will create an estimated 30,000 construction jobs and support some 4,050 permanent jobs.

SB840, An Act Concerning Next Generation Connecticut, now advances to the House of Representatives for its consideration.


This information is taken from a press release from Crisco's office.

Derby library to host Career Coach June 14

DERBY - The CT Works Career Coach returns to the Derby Public Library from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. June 14.

During both the morning session, 10 a.m.-noon, and the afternoon session, 1-3 p.m. , instructors will be offering Job Search Assistance.
Learn where to look for jobs, how to get the job you want, and how to search for jobs on the Internet.

           The workshop is free and open to the public. Registration is requested; walk-ins will be welcomed on a first come, first served basis.

          The CT Works Career Coach is a project of The WorkPlace, Inc. operated by Career Resources.

          For information, stop by the Library at 313 Elizabeth St., call 203- 736-1482 or visit www.derbypubliclibrary.org.

Crisco, Malloy welcome insurance company to state

HARTFORD - State Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr., D-Woodbridge, co-chair of the legislature’s Insurance and Real Estate Committee, recently joined Gov. Dannel P. Malloy at a formal announcement of plans to have The Navigators Group, Inc., an international specialty insurance holding company, move its corporate headquarters and additional operations from New York to Connecticut.

The move is planned for later this year.

Crisco commended the governor and his staff for negotiating terms of the move, which is expected to create 200 jobs in the state’s insurance sector within the next five years.

“The framework Connecticut has in place for continuing, successful economic development played a big role in today’s announcement, which, going forward, helps ensure our state’s place as the insurance capital of the world,” Crisco said.
 “Throughout my tenure as co-chair of the Insurance Committee we’ve worked collaboratively with the industry to create a welcoming environment and that partnership is once again paying off.”

“Our state’s longstanding familiarity with the insurance industry helps us provide for these companies a supportive setting, knowledgeable workforce, and an overall competitive advantage,” Crisco added.

The Navigators Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:NAVG), is an international commercial property and casualty insurance holding company with insurance company operations, underwriting management companies, and operations at Lloyd’s.
The company has a presence in communities across the United States, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, China and South America.

State support for the $25 million project will be provided through Malloy’s Next Five program, which is administered by Department of Economic and Community Development.
The agency will provide a 10-year, forgivable loan of up to $8 million at no interest, as well as a grant of up to $3.5 million.

All assistance and loan forgiveness is contingent on the company reaching certain job milestones.  State financial assistance will help the company purchase needed equipment, make facility upgrades, train employees and offset relocation expenses and other eligible project-related costs.

This information is taken from a press release from Crisco's office.

Gentile, colleagues celebrate Step-Up success

Program creates 1,200 jobs    

State Rep. Linda M. Gentile, left, at celebration in Hartford

      State Rep. Linda M. Gentile, D-Ansonia, recently joined dozens of other legislators to celebrate the success of the state’s Subsidized Training and Employment Program (Step Up). 
       “I can tell you first hand the Step-Up event held in Ansonia in September was an outstanding success,” Gentile said. “Over 150 Valley businesses attended the free event which is very encouraging.”  
    
    A new report by the state Department of Labor shows since the Step-Up program’s first hire in February of 2012, a total of 1,199 new employees have been hired at nearly 400 companies throughout the state.

     Over half of the employers taking part in the Step Up program hired individuals to fill a new job created specifically as a result of the program incentives and by November, nearly 250 new employees had already completed six months of work and were no longer subsidized.

     “Environmental Management Consultants, a small environmental business and engineering consulting company in Derby has taken advantage of this program,” Gentile said.  “The hope is to continue matching employers with qualified job seekers.”

Training grant incentives

     Step-Up, focused on job creation, was part of the Jobs Bill passed by the legislature in October 2011. 

    The state program, which provides wage subsidy and training grant incentives to small businesses, offers up to $12,000 in wage subsidies during the first six months of a new hire’s employment while the small manufacturing training grant provides up to $12,500 during the same six-month time frame.

     As of Feb. 7, employers across Connecticut have hired 560 unemployed job seekers using the wage subsidy program, and another 639 under the small manufacturer’s training grant.   
      Administered by the state Department of Labor and the Connecticut’s five Workforce Investment Boards, the three Step-Up programs provide a total of $30 million ($10 million for each program) in employer incentives.

This post is taken from a press release from Gentile's office.

Conroy joins manufacturer caucus

Lawmakers focus on job growth, training

State Rep. Theresa Conroy, D-Seymour, has joined the General Assembly’s Manufacturers Caucus – a group of lawmakers committed to job growth and improved training in the field of manufacturing.

“Manufacturing is such a vital part of the state’s economy,” Conroy said. "That’s why I am thrilled to be a part of the legislature’s Manufacturing Caucus. I am always on the lookout for ways to help the Valley’s manufacturers survive and thrive.”

  

Conroy noted the region is home to Naugatuck Valley Community College and Housatonic Community College, two of the state's three Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centers.

She said, “There are a number of programs and tax credits on the books to help manufacturers and small business.”

Two of the more popular programs are:

§    Economic and Manufacturing Assistance Act - provides low-interest loans and incentive-driven direct loans for projects when there is a strong economic development potential. Funding may be used for purchase of equipment, furniture and fixtures, construction, leasehold improvements, training and other eligible project-related activities.

§   Small Business Express Program - provides loans and grants to Connecticut's small business to spur job creation and growth.

In addition to financial assistance there are more than half a dozen tax incentives such as the Urban and Industrial Site Reinvestment Tax Credit - a dollar-for-dollar corporate tax credit of up to 100 percent for an investment up to a maximum of $100 million in an urban area or an industrial project; minimum investment is $5 million in distressed communities and $50 million in all other communities.

Another highly sought after tax credit is focused on machinery and equipment. Businesses can get a 10 percent tax credit if they invest in machinery and equipment.  

This information is taken from a press release from Conroy's office.