Author: Dan

Professor Kandray is an Associate Professor and Program Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Engineering Technology and Automated Manufacturing Engineering Technology programs at the University of Akron. He is an accomplished, multifaceted engineering professional with 30 years of experience serving the manufacturing industry as an engineer, automation specialist, and educator. Professor Kandray holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Youngstown State University and a Master of Technology degree from Kent State University. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Ohio and the co-inventor of two United States Patents. He is an internationally published author with the Chinese translation of his textbook, Programmable Automation Technologies, An Introduction to CNC, Robotics and PLCs. He is an active member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), serving as Faculty Advisor to the University of Akron’s student chapter S362.

Why Should I Consider a Career in Manufacturing?

Why should anyone consider a career in manufacturing? This is a very simple question with a very simple answer: JOBS!  And we are not talking about just any jobs.  We are talking about highly skilled, high paying jobs.  Jobs with the type of income that will enable you to buy nice cars, buy a house, and save for retirement.  In other words, jobs with family supporting and family sustaining wages.  Skeptical?  Well let’s look at some facts as published in a recent Wall Street Journal article (“How Manufacturers Are Recruiting Millennials”, June 7, 2016):

  1. According to the Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte Consulting there will be TWO MILLION unfilled skilled manufacturing jobs by 2025.
  2. Based on data from the U.S. bureaus of Labor Statistic and Economic Analysis, the average U.S. manufacturing worker earned $79,553 in 2014, compared with $64,204 for the average worker in all other industries.

Wow! Impressive!

Still not convinced? Consider that these jobs are NOT low-skill, monotonous, dirty, boring jobs requiring little or no training or education. Quite the contrary, the greatest need now and in the future are for highly SKILLED workers. Technicians, technologists and engineers.  These are STEM jobs that require extensive training, apprenticeships, associate degrees, and bachelor degrees!  Manufacturing is no longer the consolation prize for not going to college.  A career in manufacturing requires continuous education.  It requires apprenticeships and/or college degrees. It requires smart, talented, dedicated individuals.  Not just book-smart, but also practical, hands-on type of individuals. The best part about this; most manufacturers will PAY for this training and education.  Thus, by pursuing a career in manufacturing, one could end up with a bachelor degree FREE of charge!

So let’s summarize.  Now and in the foreseeable future there are an abundance of highly skilled, high paying, interesting jobs available that will pay for my college education!

Intrigued yet?

In up-coming posts I will address the type of skilled jobs to which I am referring and how you can get a free college education.  Stay tuned….