Manufacturing
The Manufacturing Education Project
The Manufacturing Education Project matches high school students with companies for plant tours, in-school presentations and externships for teachers. Read More
Building the Manufacturing Workforce
Middle and High School Students learned about modern manufacturing at a statewide event that drew thousands of youth to Hartford’s Civic Center. Read More
Thanks to training funded and coordinated by Workforce Alliance, CT Works and the Manufacturer’s Association, existing factory workers are improving their skills, and helping their companies remain competitive. Read more
Manufacturing Jobs Have a Big Future
Through the year 2012, the U.S. Department of Labor estimates that manufacturers will have 2 million job openings in computer science, mathematics, engineering, and physical science; and, an additional 2.4 million job openings in skilled production jobs such as machinists, machine assemblers, operators and technicians. The problem is the number of qualified workers to fill all of these openings.
A large majority of manufacturing executives (74% in a National Association of Manufacturer’s survey) say that a high performance workforce is the most important factor in the business’ future success. A similarly large number of manufacturers also report that they are already having difficulty finding trained, or even trainable, workers. |
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Just 30 years ago, less than half of manufacturing employees had a high school diploma, and less than 10% had a post-secondary degree. In 2001, 80% of workers had a high school diploma and 30% had a post-secondary degree. By 2012, 80% of factory jobs are likely to require a post-secondary degree.
Employers are looking for technical skills, but they also want workers who can be part of a team, with strong computer skills, the ability to read diagrams and translate flow charts and strong supervisory skills. |
