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):
- According to the Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte Consulting there will be TWO MILLION unfilled skilled manufacturing jobs by 2025.
- 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….