Help Celebrate Manufacturing in the US!
Like many Americans, you may be turning your attention to the upcoming Columbus Day weekend, but for manufacturers, the real excitement comes this Friday. It’s Manufacturing Day—the day we open our doors, welcome students, teachers and parents onto our shop floors and share with them the promising opportunities of a career in modern manufacturing.
Last year, more than 2,500 events took place across the country, as manufacturers offered headquarter, lab and plant tours and engaged with their communities. And once again this year, thousands of students, parents and local leaders will experience firsthand the innovation that manufacturers are driving in the 21st century, meeting programmers and technicians, exploring the worlds of 3-D printing, robotics and much more. They will even meet many others who are a part of modern manufacturing—from high-level executives who worked their way up the company ladder, to engineers who turn ideas into incredible designs, to marketing professionals who promote revolutionary products changing the world.
Ours is an industry where anyone can realize his or her potential, develop groundbreaking products and literally build the future. And here’s what many people don’t know: Not only is the demand for talent and workers high, but so are the salaries. The average manufacturing worker in the United States earns around $79,000, including pay and benefits. The average worker in all industries earned less—roughly $64,000. And, of course, there are the intangible benefits: the satisfaction of putting one’s creativity to work for the good of others.
Many know manufacturing matters, but they underestimate its significance. Manufacturing contributes $2.17 trillion to the American economy and employs more than 12 million men and women, supporting millions of communities and families.
Like it has been for generations, manufacturing offers families the chance to improve their lives—just like it did for my family decades ago. During the Great Depression, my grandfather traveled 35 miles each way, every day, trying to get a job at the Mead Paper Mill in Chillicothe, Ohio. After six months of persistence, the supervisor finally told him to start the next day. He stayed there for 40 years, until he retired in 1971. The jobs are different today, with boundless opportunities, but my grandfather’s job at the Mead plant is a testament to manufacturing’s ability to raise the quality of life for families and communities striving to achieve the American Dream—then and now.
As this year’s election has made clear, millions of Americans are anxious about the future, and young people are searching for rewarding, fulfilling careers. Manufacturers have the answer.
If you’re a manufacturer, it’s not too late to take part in Manufacturing Day. Even if you don’t host an event this Friday, you can open your doors to your community any day of the year. Learn more about how you can get involved in Manufacturing Day!