Mark Scheinberg is arguably the state’s top education entrepreneur.
Scheinberg, who essentially built East Hartford-based Goodwin University from scratch, has emerged as an authority on adult education and workforce development in the state. He’s made several big moves recently including converting Goodwin College to Goodwin University in 2020 in an effort to raise the school’s profile.
Last year he completed Goodwin’s $32 million purchase of the University of Bridgeport, giving his East Hartford institution a more statewide footprint.
Scheinberg has admitted there is risk involved in the deal, but his turnaround plan includes launching more career-based and part-time programs — something Goodwin is known for — at the University of Bridgeport, which has traditionally positioned itself as a liberal arts school.
As if that deal didn’t soak up enough of his time, Goodwin last year also opened a new Advanced Composites Technology Center on its campus. The center, opened in partnership with the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, is using cutting-edge aerospace manufacturing technology from Pratt & Whitney to train workers in building aerospace components from composite materials.
And in January Scheinberg announced a new partnership with the city of Hartford that will lead to the opening of two new community manufacturing training centers in the Capital City.
Each training center will provide Hartford residents a hands-on chance to learn introductory manufacturing skills, in hopes of connecting them to in-demand manufacturing jobs.