releases: https://esty.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/esty-s-manufacturing-universities-act-passes-senate-be-signed-law
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://esty.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/esty-s-manufacturing-universities-act-passes-senate-be-signed-law | Esty’s ‘Manufacturing Universities Act’ Passes Senate, To Be Signed into Law | 2016-12-08 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | CT | Elizabeth Esty | E000293 | esty.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Manufacturing Universities Act, a bipartisan bill authored by Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (CT-5), today was approved by the U.S. Senate and now heads to President Obama’s desk for signature. Esty’s bill was included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which passed the House by a vote of 375-34 on Dec. 2 and passed the Senate today by a vote of 92-7. The Manufacturing Universities Act, which was co-authored by Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY), provides federal grants to support manufacturing engineering education programs – at institutions such as the University of Connecticut – and connect students with training and apprenticeship opportunities with local manufacturers. The bill is endorsed by a dozen major research universities, including UConn, the University of Pennsylvania, and the State University of New York, as well as the Association of American Universities, the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, and manufacturing businesses including the Dow Company, the Dupont Company, and the Siemens Company. “Connecticut is full of innovative manufacturers, but many of these businesses struggle to find workers with the skills needed to fill 21st-century manufacturing jobs. That’s a drag on our economy and a barrier to job creation,” Esty said. “By supporting institutions like UConn that are working to train our future manufacturing workforce, the Manufacturing Universities Act will help businesses throughout the state grow and thrive. And it will help match workers with good-paying careers in high-demand fields. I’m thrilled to see our bill pass Congress with overwhelming support. Once it is signed into law, it will expand opportunities for working families both in our state and across the country.” “The Manufacturing Universities initiative is an exciting program that will transform high-tech manufacturing technologies and workforce development in the United States,” said Mun Choi, Provost at the University of Connecticut. “University of Connecticut is uniquely positioned to support this program through new investments in additive manufacturing, advanced materials characterization, composite fabrication and materials development in collaboration with aerospace, biomedical, electronics and energy industries. Together with leading industry partners, U.S. universities can create paradigm shifts in advanced manufacturing” The “Manufacturing Engineering Education Program” established in the NDAA expands the original Manufacturing Universities Act to provide grants to industry and nonprofits in addition to institutions of higher education. Eligible programs include: • Multidisciplinary instruction that encompasses the total manufacturing engineering enterprise; • Opportunities for students to obtain work experience in manufacturing through activities such as internships, summer job placements, or cooperative work-study programs; and • Faculty and student engagement with industry that is directly related to, and supportive of, the education of students in manufacturing engineering. Esty has made supporting Connecticut’s manufacturing sector and expanding opportunities for Americans to enter good-paying careers a core focus of her work in Congress. Last year, her bipartisan STEM Education Act was signed into law. This measure strengthens science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) training for teachers and includes computer science skills in course offerings to help students prepare for 21st-century careers. Esty also last year launched the Connecticut STEM Advisory Board with state experts in fields including education, manufacturing, and labor. In August, the Advisory Board published a comprehensive set of recommendations for improving STEM education offerings and strengthening STEM industries in Connecticut. In March, Esty’s Promoting Women in Entrepreneurship Act passed the House. This bill, which is slated for an upcoming Senate floor vote, improves federal support for women in the STEM fields by directing the National Science Foundation to expand programs that help women extend their focus beyond the laboratory and into the commercial world. Finally, Esty is the author of the Technical Education Creates High-Paying (TECH) Careers Act, which would support job-training and apprenticeship programs at technical and community colleges, and the American Jobs Matter Act, which would ensure that taxpayer money spent on federal contractors is used to support American manufacturers and boost job creation here at home. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |