Manufacturing is Where the Jobs Are

“The manufacturing industry is facing an employment crisis. The rate of technical advances has outpaced our ability to educate and train workers on new machines and applications, creating a “skills gap.” Mark Tomlinson, CEO, Society of Manufacturing Engineers.

I thought it was interesting that even during the depths of the last recession, the classified ads in the major newspapers still showed opportunities for setup and machinists in our precision machining sector of advanced manufacturing. It’s still true today. We have visited local community colleges around the country that provide machining training, and we hear the same story, after the first semester, “most of our students already have found a job or have one promised upon graduation.”

We need to help change the perception of manufacturing and skilled trades for educators, parents and students.

We need to help change the notion that going heavily into debt for a bachelor’s degree without a plan for return on investment is a way for our sons and daughters to get their start in life.

We need to show parents, students, counselors, teachers, our communities, the “existential joys of manufacturing”—the cool stuff we make, the hi-tech machines we use to make it, and the broad math, science, problem-solving intellectual skill set that we bring to our work.

That our skilled machinists are worthy of the highest respect.

Mark Tomlinson told the Huffington Post, “We know where the jobs are.” 

If you would like to investigate a career in advanced manufacturing/precision machining, the PMPA has prepared the Career Info Database to help you access training resources wherever you are, or go to the Careers section on the PMPA website. 

Originally posted at PMPA Speaking of Precision blog.