State Legislators, East Haven Leaders Spotlight Career Tech Ed At EHHS

EAST HAVEN, CT —State Sen. Paul Cicarella (R-34), East Haven officials and the town’s bipartisan legislative delegation all converged Monday at East Haven High School to spotlight the school’s Career Technology Education programs and equipment, which now includes a brand-new Advanced Manufacturing Lab.

The officials — including East Haven Mayor Joseph A. Carfora, Director of Economic Development Michelle Benivegna, House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora (R-86), State Rep. Joseph Zullo (R-99), and State Sen. Christine Cohen (D-12) —then toured the school’s CTE hands-on classrooms, led by principal Vincent DeNuzzo and East Haven Public Schools Superintendent Erica Forti.

The school’s CTE programs served as a genesis and model for legislation introduced by Cicarella during the 2022 and 2023 legislative sessions, in the effort to provide all students with a path toward a successful career beyond a traditional four-year degree. In 2022, he held more than a dozen meetings with local and statewide stakeholders from the education, nonprofit and business communities to identify the myriad workforce development programs that are available and which of these programs are most effective. Cicarella, an East Haven High School alumnus, leveraged this information to craft sound workforce development policy.

“Thank you to East Haven High School, the town, and the board of education for welcoming us to highlight the great things happening. It’s so important to show our students the options that are available to them beyond a four-year degree. Traveling the state, I was amazed to see the competitive salaries available to those with skills that are in-demand in Connecticut like welding, carpentry, manufacturing or information technology. By modeling programs like East Haven’s, we are putting young people in a position to win in a well-paying career, stay in Connecticut and raise a family,” Cicarella said.

'The CTE program, since implemented, has shown real results'

“This type of education has become increasingly important in today’s rapidly changing job market, where many high paying jobs require specialized skills and training. In the short time since the CTE program has been implemented, it has shown real results for students in helping them to land their chosen careers," Carfora said. "These programs help to create a skilled workforce that meets the needs of local businesses, which helps to attract new businesses to our area, creating a positive cycle. By providing our young people with practical skills and training, we can help ensure their success and contribute to the growth of our local economy.”

“I commend and thank Senator Cicarella for his advocacy and leadership bringing together stakeholders at our Board of Education, in Town Hall, and amongst our legislative delegation to help build advanced technology and career technical education programs in our school district. Incorporating CTE learning programs into our traditional curriculum encourages our students to gain new skills and explore different passions, and also empowers them to seek and obtain in-demand career opportunities that grow our workforce and economy," Zullo said. "I am excited to see this initiative growing and thriving in East Haven and I look forward to seeing neighboring communities following our footsteps and exploring similar programs.”

“Our focus has been on preparing our students to be both college and career-ready. Students in our CTE programs are required to locate, analyze, interpret and communicate information; collaborate, develop leadership skills and habits of personal and social responsibility, and adapt to changes," DeNuzzo said. "They have the 21st Century skills and resources that provide them the opportunity to use technology that is ever-changing, to go out into the workforce so they can create.