Held each year on the first Friday in October, National Manufacturing Day (MFG Day) helps shed light on the reality of innovation in manufacturing and career opportunities by encouraging educational institutes, companies, and the community to educate themselves and inspire their students or employees of the many benefits of a career in manufacturing. MFG Day is put on by The Manufacturing Institute who has shared that the true mission of National Manufacturing Day is “to build a steady pipeline of qualified manufacturing workers.”
Now that you know a little more about the background of MFG Day, here are three reasons why it’s important.
- The Contribution to the Economy
Think of your everyday routine – you probably wake up and begin by brushing your teeth, making a cup of coffee, getting dressed, and jumping in your car to head out for work. If you think about your everyday routine, from the toothbrush, to the coffee maker, and even your car – the majority of the products you use are produced by a manufacturer.
In the United States alone, manufacturing contributed $2.33 trillion to the economy in only quarter one in 2019 according to the National Association of Manufacturers. For every $1.00 spent in manufacturing, another $2.745 is added to the economy.
Not only is manufacturing imperative to the economy, think about thousands of manufacturing facilities in the US that stepped up and pivoted their production schedules during the COVID-19 pandemic to manufacture masks, ventilators, and other essential supplies and materials.
- The Growing Industry and Growing Workforce
While COVID-19 has affected the US economy and workforce, over the last four years the US has experienced the best manufacturing growth in the last 30 years. The National Association of Manufactures state that there are currently 12.75 million manufacturing workers in the United States, accounting for 8.6% of the US workforce. Over the next decade, this number will continue to grow and the demand for manufacturing workers will increase by 4.6 million. According to a recent report, 2.4 million of these jobs will go unfilled due to a shortage of qualified applicants.
The shortage of manufacturing talent is a major reason why it’s so important to educate future generations of the importance and benefits of a career in manufacturing. Specifically looking at wages, the average manufacturing worker can earn more than $27 per hour.
- The Drive of Innovation
Not only does manufacturing fuel the economy, but this industry leads 63% of all research and development in the nation. Meaning, the manufacturing industry drives more innovation than any other section in the US. By opening their doors, some manufacturing companies are able to provide a sneak peek into some of the most technologically advanced systems and processes.
Industries that heavily contract manufacturing facilities to conduct their research and development include pharmaceuticals, chemicals, electronics, aerospace, motor vehicles, and computers according to The Bureau of Economic analysis. Not only do these facilities manufacture the products for these major industries, they also conduct their research and development which stands as another reason why manufacturing is so important.
Now, more than ever, it’s vital to champion manufacturing in the US and the career opportunities that it can provide—especially for STEM educators and students. Looking to learn more on how you can support or participate? The Manufacturing Institute has some great resources that can help you get started. Click here to check it out. Whether you’re hosting a manufacturing event yourself, attending one, encouraging students to attend job fairs, or maybe even asking your employer to participate, you may just inspire someone to pursue a new career in manufacturing.
Are you planning on doing anything special for this year’s National Manufacturing Day on October 2, 2020? If you have scheduled or are planning to do something at your facility for employees or the community, we’d like to learn more and see how we can partner with you. Let’s connect and see how we can celebrate National Manufacturing Day together.
Source: National Association of Manufacturers and The Bureau of Economic Analysis
