Over the next decade, American manufacturers are expected to have nearly three million job openings. Unfortunately, chances are your school’s guidance counselor or career advisor never talked to you about those opportunities.
There are couple of reasons for this. First, in the early part of this century manufacturing jobs in the U.S. took a big hit. Many jobs were being moved overseas, where labor is cheaper. And then the recession hit, and every industry suffered. On top of that, most young Americans aren’t looking for manufacturing jobs.
That’s because when most of us think of manufacturing, we imagine the back-breaking, repetitive, often dangerous work in filthy factories our grandfathers love to describe from when they were young. We imagine underpaid, underappreciated workers. And we write-off manufacturing jobs as something you only do if there’s nothing else available.
But that’s not the reality of modern manufacturing. Many of those unskilled jobs your grandfather recalls have been automated or moved overseas. Today’s factories are looking for skilled workers, often with college degrees or technical training. Many of these jobs involve operating or even programming complex machinery to do the work traditional, unskilled laborers used to.
And they pay a lot better than you think: The average manufacturing worker in the U.S. makes over $77,000 a year in pay and benefits, according to the National Association of Manufacturers. Chances are your grandfather didn’t mention that!
Unfortunately, many schools have scaled back or gotten rid of their technical education programs, and most parents aren’t steering their kids into manufacturing jobs, because of old perceptions. Fortunately, the manufacturing industry is working hard to change those perceptions. Through efforts such as their annual Manufacturing Day event and an increased emphasis on apprenticeship education, they are trying to educate young people about how the industry has changed. At the same time, modern technical education programs are on the rise, offering a combination of a college degree and industry-recognized credentialing.
And for those of you reading this because you’ve already realized how much manufacturing jobs have to offer, the good news is manufacturers are recruiting in a big way. If you have technical training, or if you’re willing to learn a skilled trade, there are plenty of opportunities available—and Madden Industrial Staffing can help you find them.
If you’re interested in pursuing a career in manufacturing, give Madden Industrial Craftsmena call today. As a leading staffing agency in Seattle and the surrounding region, our Recruitment Specialists can help you find a placement to fit your skills or opportunities to learn the skills you need.
