Every October, we mark Minnesota Manufacturing Month as a time to shine light on an industry that too often is misunderstood, overlooked, or undervalued. As someone who sees every day how placing people into manufacturing careers changes lives, and as a parent, I believe this month is an opportunity to shift mindsets and inspire futures.
Few people see manufacturing as a career. One startling figure often cited is that only 1% of high school or college graduates explicitly express a desire to pursue manufacturing careers. That means even though manufacturing needs talent, we’re not positioning it as aspirational, respected, or visible enough.
And it’s not just numbers. I’ll never forget hosting a group of high school students involved in their school’s Industrial Tech program. When I shared with the teacher we’d be touring the shop floor, he quickly dismissed it: “We don’t need to see that, our students won’t be working on a shop floor. They’re engineering students going to college.”
I was stunned.
That mindset – one that looks down on hands-on manufacturing experience has no place in a world with abundant opportunities and desperate need for skilled, grounded workers. Engineering and shop-floor work aren’t opposites; they’re complementary. The best engineers often do understand the shop floor.
I’m here to say that manufacturing has evolved and it’s robust in Minnesota.
Minnesota is home to over 8,300 manufacturers, employing more than 300,000 people statewide. Jobs in this field pay well above the state average, often around $88,000 per year, and the sector contributes more than $58 billion annually to our state’s economy. These are not “fallback” jobs, they are careers to be proud of.
Today’s plants are advanced, automated, and safe. Workers use robotics, digital controls, and lean practices. The pride of building something real and building it well is alive and strong.
Calling all parents, students, and employers!
- Parents: Don’t dismiss manufacturing: tour facilities, ask questions, broaden your child’s vision. SEE the work around you, talk about it.
- Students: Explore these paths; don’t let outdated stereotypes rob you of a fulfilling career. Maybe you are like my brother and always dreamed of driving a tractor – you CAN!
- Employers: Open your doors. Mentor. Tell your story. Be the proof that manufacturing careers are worth pursuing.
This Manufacturing Month, let’s honor the dignity of building and inspire the next generation to see manufacturing not as “less than,” but as an opportunity to create, grow, and thrive.
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