High wages, opportunity to grow, and countless entry level positions means jobs are being filled…right?

The Truth About A Career In Manufacturing

Amid the 2020 pandemic, the world has truly opened its eyes to how valuable and essential manufacturing workers are. In today’s society however, the manufacturing industry is threatened by the lack of incoming workers. High schools are failing to promote manufacturing and skilled trades as a career opportunity and are instead putting the most emphasis on attending college. 

One of the main reasons young people steer away from going into the trades and manufacturing industry is due to a lack of knowledge and exposure. The manufacturing industry offers high wages, opportunity to grow, countless entry level positions, and the opportunity to work in a constantly growing industry that uses new technology and modern equipment.

Common manufacturing job titles are:

          1. Assembler
          2. Welder
          3. Machinist/Operator
          4. Production Manager
          5. Quality Control Inspector

There are also various types of sectors within the manufacturing industry to work in:

          1. Food and production
          2. Medical device
          3. Printing
          4. Mechanical and engineering
          5. Distribution

The lack of incoming workers could leave as many as 2.1 million jobs open by 2030, presenting a big challenge to the manufacturing industry, according to Business Insider. The manufacturing industry is growing and becoming increasingly modern, creating more skilled job opportunities along with it. Since high schools have continued to leave vocational training behind, there is a dwindling talent pool to fill these positions.

The manufacturing industry wants schools to promote that the trades are just as good of an opportunity as the other post graduate pursuits that are emphasized on a much higher level. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis and Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average manufacturing worker in the United States earns $88,406 per year.