Manufacturing a Future

According to Sirkin (2012), "The much talked-about “skills gap” in the U.S. is more limited than many people think and shouldn’t prevent, or even stall, the U.S. manufacturing renaissance, at least for a while."  In the manufacturing industry, further shortages will continue to develop over time and will ultimately prove to be problematic if there is not enough new talent entering the manufacturing workforce for specific trades. 

The Boston Consulting Group estimates that occupations with the most need include welders, machinists, and industrial machinery mechanics.  Five of the country's fifty largest manufacturing centers have significant gaps in skilled workers.  Many people believe that there is no need for concern, but some of the degrees most sought after by current students are business-oriented and as time goes on, many of the "baby boomers" will get closer to retirement.  In Sirkin's article Skill Gap: No Big Deal If... (2012), he explains that the average, high-skilled manufacturing worker in the U.S. is fifty-six years of age and if the manufacturing industry continues to grow while the "baby boomers" continue to retire, we could face a shortage of 875,000 skilled workers by 2020.  A shortage of that magnitude would be a major problem for our already-hurting economy.

In order for the manufacturing industry to make a turnaround, there needs to be a program that would attract young students and workers to become more skilled and to attract them to manufacturing jobs.  Sirkin (2012) states that most high-skill manufacturing jobs only require a high school diploma and many have on-the-job training for new applicants, yet only sixteen percent of respondent companies recruit in high school.  If colleges were to have more in depth training programs or even a combination of manufacturing and another specialty, more students would be inclined to venture into the industry.  Another reason for manufacturing to take off is because many recent college graduates are either unemployed or working in low-paying positions.

Keeping our economy in mind, schools across the country should develop more and exciting programs for students who might not think that they could have a future in the manufacturing industry.  Without a new work force entering into the market, more jobs could be exported, leaving American citizens jobless and facing more challenges in an already stressful economy.


Sirkin, Harold L. (2012, November 12). Skills Gap: No Big Deal If.... Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved from: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-11-12/skills-gap-no-big-deal-if