Info for Teachers
You want what is best for your student’s future. For students looking to produce, innovate and thrive, a career in manufacturing could be the perfect fit.
Whether a student is interested in design, engineering, business or even marketing, there is a place for everyone in manufacturing. Not only does manufacturing offer diverse and meaningful roles, it also offers high pay, robust benefits and plenty of opportunity for advancement.
For those who excel in the classroom and for those who learn by doing, manufacturing offers exciting, rewarding career choices.
Manufacturing provides opportunities for students
with a wide variety of skills and talents
Perception vs. Reality
Many people still think of “manufacturing” as an outdated industry with low-paying jobs in aging factories. This negative perception, combined with the aging of the baby boomer generation, is creating a huge talent shortage in U.S. manufacturing:
In reality, manufacturing uses modern technology and advanced robotics to create thousands of products we rely on every day. Manufacturing is clean, safe, and innovative. As a career, manufacturing can also be lucrative, rewarding and stable.
Both Oregon (10.1%) and Washington (12.7%) saw double-digit job growth in manufacturing in the last ten years, above the national average
Manufacturing has one of the lowest employee turnover rates (2.3 percent) of any US industry
Manufacturers earn an average of $81,289 per year (25% more per year than average salary of other industries)
2/3 of research and development in the US is done by manufacturers, from nanotechnology to robotics – manufacturers build the future, every day
Ready, Set, Educate!
Over the next decade, as many as 2 million manufacturing jobs may go unfilled due to the skills gap. But with your help, we can show students the reality of modern manufacturing and show them the many opportunities available to them. Here are a few tools to help inform your student about a potential career in manufacturing:
LESSON PLAN TOOLKIT
These resources from Manufacturing Day provide educators with a number of activities to expand students’ knowledge and awareness of the manufacturing industry. Recommended for grades 6-12.
CAREER TREE HANDOUT
Cooper Standard, a leading supplier of components and systems for the automotive industry, developed this visual method of exploring careers in manufacturing based upon the level and type of education required.
From production to product engineering and other supportive roles from communications to purchasing, there are countless career options across all levels of education. Download the Cooper Standard Career Tree
SCHOLARSHIP SEARCH
With skilled workers in such demand, there is a growing list of scholarships for those who want to pursue manufacturing careers.
Check out this list of scholarship opportunities for students interested in pursuing a career in manufacturing
THANK YOU!
Today’s manufacturing is about new innovation, making an impact, and a chance to design and build the future. Whether someone is interested in design, engineering, or even the business side of the industry, there is a place for everyone in manufacturing.
Not only does our industry offer a wide variety of demanding and fulfilling roles, it also offers high pay and opportunity for career advancement.
With your help, we can replace the outdated perceptions of the industry and open students to new horizons in their career explorations. Thank you for your commitment to this industry.