The Debrief: New Faces, Historical Mission At The MTRC

Change is afoot at Stony Brook University’s Manufacturing and Technology Resource Consortium. Not the MTRC’s mission; Empire State Development’s regional Manufacturing Extension Partnership center has always provided job-creation and profit-maximizing assistance for regional midsized manufacturers, and that’s still Job No. 1. But with fresh blood comes a fresh approach for the reinvigorated MTRC. New Center Director Jessica Cracchiolo, a Hofstra University graduate (BA Psychology, 2004) and longtime standout at New York City-based workforce-development consultancy Grant Associates, has taken the reins from former Program Manager Cynthia Colon, who’s now director of strategic initiatives at the Stony Brook School of Professional Development. Cracchiolo is orchestrating a master relaunch plan that started with a comprehensive survey of Long Island manufacturers – and doubles down on longstanding efforts to help those midsized businesses overcome hurdles to profitability.

Hofstra pride: I had an enriching experience at Hofstra University that included spending a significant amount of time in the university’s career center during my senior year. I cultivated a deep interest in comprehending career trajectories, recruitment, retention and the symbiotic relationship between industry and local universities in shaping the workforce pipeline.

On her way: This exposure laid the foundation for my engagement in true workforce development and led to the start of my career. I remain grateful to the Hofstra University Career Center for guiding me onto this path.

Pivotal moment: I transitioned into workforce development with Grant Associates, which secured a contract with the New York City Department of Small Business Services to establish the city’s Manufacturing and Transportation Career Centers.

Rising fast: Initially, as a recruitment account manager, I connected with businesses in manufacturing, transportation and construction across the five boroughs, providing recruitment, training and business-support services. [That led to] the center director role, where I led a team of more than 30 industrial workforce-development staffers.

Intern-al combustion: We launched an industrial internship program in partnership with the New York City Department of Education, giving hundreds of Career and Technical Education students industry exposure during their high school years. The program has since expanded significantly, now serving more than 2,500 students annually and numerous businesses in New York and beyond.

Understanding industry: I actively engaged with trade associations, holding advisory and leadership roles in the [John F. Kennedy International] Airport Chamber of Commerce and the Society of Fleet Supervisors, among others. And I remained involved with the National Association of Manufacturers.

On-the-job training: I designed a four-day boot camp to help new hires nationwide understand effective industry collaboration. Subsequently, assuming the role of director of external partnerships, I supported Grant Associate’s new-program launch team and trained staff in various cities to replicate the New York City success.

Welcome to the MTRC: The MTRC guides projects from launch to successful completion, offering project-management services that support manufacturers by saving time and money and optimizing operations. Our new team here is small but mighty and stands on the shoulders of those who made this center great.

Help from above: The MTRC team is so fortunate to have the support and guidance of Stony Brook Economic Development’s leadership team, Director of Programs David Hamilton and Associate Vice President for Technology Partnerships Peter Donnelly. We are excited about our reinvigorated process … and also thankful to Cynthia Colon for paving the way.

Tell us a little about yourself: The MTRC is excited to share our renewed model that focuses on meeting businesses where they are. We want to learn about their business models, growth plans and challenges while connecting them to strong resources that support growth.

Tell us a lot about yourself: Before the relaunch, hundreds of Long Island-based manufacturers were surveyed to [help us] understand any roadblocks to their economic success. Challenges we heard include finding and developing talent pipelines and issues with supply chains, as well as the need for more business exposure and more support to increase product lines.

New tools: We are trailblazing new ways to help keep businesses doing business here on Long Island. For instance, we are excited to support the industry with the national MEP Supply Chain Scouting Tool. We’re also delighted to provide manufacturers with support through a new cost-match program, enabling more businesses to work with specialists and consultants.

Strength in numbers: We will also bring together key industry ecosystem partners to pool resources and find the quickest and most efficient solutions. And we’re thrilled to announce several upcoming events addressing pressing concerns faced by manufacturers. For instance, our partnership with FuzeHub and the Advanced Institute for Manufacturing will bring the U.S. Department of Defense Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification into focus on Sept 19. We’re also assisting businesses looking to expand into the offshore wind sector – on Sept. 28, we’re hosting an offshore-wind Composites Workshop, followed by an offshore wind readiness training course on Oct 12.

Ongoing mission: Our goal is to support manufacturers here on Long Island by understanding any roadblock to their economic success and finding solutions. We will continue to build on the MTRC’s true mission of helping our manufacturers gain access to the support that fuels their growth and innovation.