The manufacturing sector is facing a talent crisis. Despite nationwide efforts to achieve a manufacturing renaissance, manufacturing job outcomes remain suboptimal and student interest in manufacturing as a career remains low, even as the number of firms engaged in manufacturing increases—a reminder of how much more there is to do. Robust employment in manufacturing is integral to the nation’s economic growth, national security, and innovation; with the need for high-skill manufacturing workers projected to grow to 3.8 million jobs over the next decade, it is essential to ensure that students will seek—and secure—careers in the sector.
There are glimmers of hope. Across the country, programs are experimenting with new ways to connect students to rewarding manufacturing careers and provide employers with the skilled workers they need. In Cleveland, one such model—the Early College Early Career (ECEC) program, led by Rahim Nichols at the Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network (MAGNET)—demonstrates how a holistic, employer-driven approach can reimagine what talent development in manufacturing looks like.
Based on the German apprenticeship system, ECEC is a state-recognized youth pre-apprenticeship in advanced manufacturing that partners with ten manufacturers, two community colleges, and thirteen high schools. Students apply to the program and interview like they are seeking a job; if accepted, they then complete a full-time paid internship the summer before their senior year, followed by a split schedule of high school, MAGNET training, and continued paid work. Since its 2017 launch, ECEC has awarded high school credits, provided mentorship and professional development, offered transportation and parent outreach, and achieved a 90 percent job-offer rate for graduates—many of whom are students of color.
The success of programs like ECEC shows what’s possible when employers, educators, and communities work together to build lasting talent pipelines. But examples like these remain too rare and the challenge of overcoming outdated but still persistent misconceptions about employment in the sector remain steep.
Overcoming stigma about employment in manufacturing is critically important. That’s why Andrew Crowe (an author of this commentary) is taking on that mission with a national tour to spark young people’s interest in manufacturing, demonstrating the kind of year-round commitment needed to shift perceptions and build excitement about the field. While speaking at schools about the career pathways, Crowe has often observed parents telling their children things like “you better get good grades or you will end up in a factory.” Upending this mindset will take a concerted effort. Manufacturing of today offers innovative career pathways in fields such as robotics, for example, but they are visible mostly to students who already exhibit interest in these careers in the first place. And a single speaking tour cannot solve the manufacturing talent shortage—much more is needed.
Manufacturing Month, recognized each October, is meant to be a celebration of the sector. This year, as the talent crisis in manufacturing becomes more evident, it must also become a springboard for strategies that can truly attract, prepare, and retain the workforce manufacturing requires.
Here are five ways to grow U.S. manufacturing employment while also ensuring that the sector offers quality jobs.
1. Increase funding for K–12 outreach and awareness-building about manufacturing careers.
Even in the age of instantaneous Google searches, students at the K–12 level still know very little about careers in manufacturing. Most manufacturing jobs now require a postsecondary credential, but the sector’s reputation as a low-skill, low-wage, dark, dirty, and dangerous environment in which to work has not evolved to match current skill requirements and job quality. As a result, many parents remain wary of recommending manufacturing careers for their children—a problem heightened by the sector’s historical degradation of communities as a result of factory closures.
K–12 schools need tailored career coaches who engage students with manufacturing pathways via robust partnerships with local employers. One avenue for Congress to achieve this is the Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) Act, which authorizes outreach activities via a Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment. In the next reauthorization, funding should be increased for outreach activities in manufacturing.
2. Create more accessible training pathways into the sector via workforce policies.
For too many prospective workers, the path into manufacturing is blocked by hurdles that make training programs inaccessible. High tuition costs, long commutes, lack of child care, and rigid schedules prevent individuals—particularly those from underrepresented and low-income communities—from gaining the skills needed to enter the field. Even when programs are available, participants often face confusing requirements or limited support services, leading to high attrition rates.
Registered apprenticeships offer a proven solution. By combining paid, on-the-job training with structured classroom learning, apprenticeships eliminate many of the barriers associated with traditional training programs. Workers earn a wage while they learn, receive mentorship, and build skills that align directly with employer demand. For employers, establishing a registered apprenticeship program is both a chance to invest in their workforce and a strategy to ensure long-term competitiveness. Registered apprenticeships create accessible, sustainable pathways into the middle class, turning manufacturing jobs into opportunities that truly change lives.
3. Ensure competitive, equitable pay and treatment of workers in manufacturing jobs.
Historically, manufacturing for working-class communities was more than just a job operating a machine: it was the opportunity to climb an economic ladder. Now, many entry-level jobs at manufacturing companies pay no more than those in fast food and retail, making it difficult for employers to attract or retain workers. When a job in manufacturing—a sector long celebrated as a ticket to the middle class—sometimes pays less than a cashier position, the message to potential recruits is clear: there is little incentive to choose manufacturing. To reverse these employment trends, companies that are serious about attracting and retaining talent need to provide starting wages that are higher than their competition in other sectors. But the challenge does not stop at the entry level—raising pay across the board, including for mid-career and veteran workers, is essential to ensuring that manufacturing jobs once again represent stable, family-sustaining employment. Without competitive compensation structures, the promise of manufacturing as a pathway to economic mobility will continue to erode.
Furthermore, the industry needs to address issues of racial disparity in pay and treatment. The UpJohn Institute published a report documenting the manufacturing work experiences of people by race and gender dating back to 1960, underscoring how inequities persist despite decades of change in the industry. The report cites in particular Deirdre Royster’s book, Race and the Invisible Hand: How White Networks Exclude Black Men from Blue-Collar Jobs, which found that Black graduates of vocational schools consistently fared worse in the labor market than their white peers from the same institution, even if the Black graduate demonstrated equal or stronger academic performance. These inequities endure in wages today: compared to white male counterparts, white women in manufacturing earn $13,660 less annually, Black women $17,684 less, and Hispanic or Latina women $20,023 less. While Manufacturing Month should continue to be celebratory, companies must commit to systemic change, instituting transparent wage bands and closing racial and gender pay gaps—or risk losing the very talent they hope to attract. As an example, through state workforce agencies, companies receiving public workforce dollars should be required to set wage thresholds and advancement tiers for their workers.
4. Pursue trade policies that make it easier for American companies to compete and hire more workers.
American manufacturing will never be fully rebuilt until U.S. trade policies protect American workers from unfair competition and ensure that the country can produce all the goods needed for national security. Tariffs are a critical tool of fair trade policy—but only when they are deployed strategically in critical industries such as steel or solar panels, and through authorities like Section 301 of Trade Act and Section 232 of the Trade Enforcement Act. Instead, the chaotic across-the-board tariffs rolled out by the Trump administration—which have been declared illegal by federal courts—have snarled supply chains, raised prices, and done nothing to bolster manufacturing jobs. Over the past year, factories have shed 78,000 jobs, including a decline of 12,000 manufacturing jobs in August 2025 alone.
Trump’s tariffs have come at the expense of manufacturing companies, manufacturing workers, and consumers. Moreover, without sustained public and private investment, such as those made in the 2021 CHIPs and Science Act to supercharge semiconductor production in the United States, the tariffs will not be a vehicle for economic growth. These tariffs, in conjunction with the lack of investment from companies out of fear and confusion, will not be a vehicle for economic growth. Investing in a skilled workforce with long-term industrial strategies—not willy-nilly tariffs—will be the catalyst for reshoring the manufacturing revitalization that Americans are promised.
5. Pursue industrial policies that bring the entire ecosystem together.
Companies, universities, and entities of government should work collectively to address national needs, from national defense to environmental sustainability. For example, Louisiana State University (LSU) is the recipient of the National Science Foundation’s Engines Program, a multidisciplinary funding initiative aimed at fostering innovative ecosystems, developing local talent, and commercializing research activities. Louisiana has launched a statewide effort, Future Use of Energy (FUEL), focusing on a clean energy transition and a decarbonization of Louisiana’s industrial corridor. Universities and community colleges in the state are participants, along with industry partners such as Shell. Louisiana is leveraging their ecosystem to be a global player in the petrochemical industry. Industrial policies that incentivize innovation, such as FUEL, will revitalize manufacturing and prepare a workforce for jobs in critical technologies and materials. Unfortunately, repeals of inflation reduction act tax credits for advanced manufacturing and critical minerals have made this vision harder.
Looking Ahead
The manufacturing worker crisis will not be rectified with incremental approaches to recruiting talent. It will take policies that grow manufacturing jobs with wages that promote economic security, pathways for professional advancement, and an inclusive workplace culture. Strategic recruiting efforts and sustainable trade policy will spur more manufacturing investment and good jobs for workers, creating a virtuous cycle. Let’s use Manufacturing Month this year to help rebuild the sector’s workforce by delivering the quality of jobs worth celebrating.
Tags: manufacturing, employment, us economy
Five Ways To Grow Manufacturing Employment
The manufacturing sector is facing a talent crisis. Despite nationwide efforts to achieve a manufacturing renaissance, manufacturing job outcomes remain suboptimal and student interest in manufacturing as a career remains low, even as the number of firms engaged in manufacturing increases—a reminder of how much more there is to do. Robust employment in manufacturing is integral to the nation’s economic growth, national security, and innovation; with the need for high-skill manufacturing workers projected to grow to 3.8 million jobs over the next decade, it is essential to ensure that students will seek—and secure—careers in the sector.
There are glimmers of hope. Across the country, programs are experimenting with new ways to connect students to rewarding manufacturing careers and provide employers with the skilled workers they need. In Cleveland, one such model—the Early College Early Career (ECEC) program, led by Rahim Nichols at the Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network (MAGNET)—demonstrates how a holistic, employer-driven approach can reimagine what talent development in manufacturing looks like.
Based on the German apprenticeship system, ECEC is a state-recognized youth pre-apprenticeship in advanced manufacturing that partners with ten manufacturers, two community colleges, and thirteen high schools. Students apply to the program and interview like they are seeking a job; if accepted, they then complete a full-time paid internship the summer before their senior year, followed by a split schedule of high school, MAGNET training, and continued paid work. Since its 2017 launch, ECEC has awarded high school credits, provided mentorship and professional development, offered transportation and parent outreach, and achieved a 90 percent job-offer rate for graduates—many of whom are students of color.
The success of programs like ECEC shows what’s possible when employers, educators, and communities work together to build lasting talent pipelines. But examples like these remain too rare and the challenge of overcoming outdated but still persistent misconceptions about employment in the sector remain steep.
Overcoming stigma about employment in manufacturing is critically important. That’s why Andrew Crowe (an author of this commentary) is taking on that mission with a national tour to spark young people’s interest in manufacturing, demonstrating the kind of year-round commitment needed to shift perceptions and build excitement about the field. While speaking at schools about the career pathways, Crowe has often observed parents telling their children things like “you better get good grades or you will end up in a factory.” Upending this mindset will take a concerted effort. Manufacturing of today offers innovative career pathways in fields such as robotics, for example, but they are visible mostly to students who already exhibit interest in these careers in the first place. And a single speaking tour cannot solve the manufacturing talent shortage—much more is needed.
Manufacturing Month, recognized each October, is meant to be a celebration of the sector. This year, as the talent crisis in manufacturing becomes more evident, it must also become a springboard for strategies that can truly attract, prepare, and retain the workforce manufacturing requires.
Here are five ways to grow U.S. manufacturing employment while also ensuring that the sector offers quality jobs.
1. Increase funding for K–12 outreach and awareness-building about manufacturing careers.
Even in the age of instantaneous Google searches, students at the K–12 level still know very little about careers in manufacturing. Most manufacturing jobs now require a postsecondary credential, but the sector’s reputation as a low-skill, low-wage, dark, dirty, and dangerous environment in which to work has not evolved to match current skill requirements and job quality. As a result, many parents remain wary of recommending manufacturing careers for their children—a problem heightened by the sector’s historical degradation of communities as a result of factory closures.
K–12 schools need tailored career coaches who engage students with manufacturing pathways via robust partnerships with local employers. One avenue for Congress to achieve this is the Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) Act, which authorizes outreach activities via a Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment. In the next reauthorization, funding should be increased for outreach activities in manufacturing.
2. Create more accessible training pathways into the sector via workforce policies.
For too many prospective workers, the path into manufacturing is blocked by hurdles that make training programs inaccessible. High tuition costs, long commutes, lack of child care, and rigid schedules prevent individuals—particularly those from underrepresented and low-income communities—from gaining the skills needed to enter the field. Even when programs are available, participants often face confusing requirements or limited support services, leading to high attrition rates.
Registered apprenticeships offer a proven solution. By combining paid, on-the-job training with structured classroom learning, apprenticeships eliminate many of the barriers associated with traditional training programs. Workers earn a wage while they learn, receive mentorship, and build skills that align directly with employer demand. For employers, establishing a registered apprenticeship program is both a chance to invest in their workforce and a strategy to ensure long-term competitiveness. Registered apprenticeships create accessible, sustainable pathways into the middle class, turning manufacturing jobs into opportunities that truly change lives.
3. Ensure competitive, equitable pay and treatment of workers in manufacturing jobs.
Historically, manufacturing for working-class communities was more than just a job operating a machine: it was the opportunity to climb an economic ladder. Now, many entry-level jobs at manufacturing companies pay no more than those in fast food and retail, making it difficult for employers to attract or retain workers. When a job in manufacturing—a sector long celebrated as a ticket to the middle class—sometimes pays less than a cashier position, the message to potential recruits is clear: there is little incentive to choose manufacturing. To reverse these employment trends, companies that are serious about attracting and retaining talent need to provide starting wages that are higher than their competition in other sectors. But the challenge does not stop at the entry level—raising pay across the board, including for mid-career and veteran workers, is essential to ensuring that manufacturing jobs once again represent stable, family-sustaining employment. Without competitive compensation structures, the promise of manufacturing as a pathway to economic mobility will continue to erode.
Furthermore, the industry needs to address issues of racial disparity in pay and treatment. The UpJohn Institute published a report documenting the manufacturing work experiences of people by race and gender dating back to 1960, underscoring how inequities persist despite decades of change in the industry. The report cites in particular Deirdre Royster’s book, Race and the Invisible Hand: How White Networks Exclude Black Men from Blue-Collar Jobs, which found that Black graduates of vocational schools consistently fared worse in the labor market than their white peers from the same institution, even if the Black graduate demonstrated equal or stronger academic performance. These inequities endure in wages today: compared to white male counterparts, white women in manufacturing earn $13,660 less annually, Black women $17,684 less, and Hispanic or Latina women $20,023 less. While Manufacturing Month should continue to be celebratory, companies must commit to systemic change, instituting transparent wage bands and closing racial and gender pay gaps—or risk losing the very talent they hope to attract. As an example, through state workforce agencies, companies receiving public workforce dollars should be required to set wage thresholds and advancement tiers for their workers.
4. Pursue trade policies that make it easier for American companies to compete and hire more workers.
American manufacturing will never be fully rebuilt until U.S. trade policies protect American workers from unfair competition and ensure that the country can produce all the goods needed for national security. Tariffs are a critical tool of fair trade policy—but only when they are deployed strategically in critical industries such as steel or solar panels, and through authorities like Section 301 of Trade Act and Section 232 of the Trade Enforcement Act. Instead, the chaotic across-the-board tariffs rolled out by the Trump administration—which have been declared illegal by federal courts—have snarled supply chains, raised prices, and done nothing to bolster manufacturing jobs. Over the past year, factories have shed 78,000 jobs, including a decline of 12,000 manufacturing jobs in August 2025 alone.
Trump’s tariffs have come at the expense of manufacturing companies, manufacturing workers, and consumers. Moreover, without sustained public and private investment, such as those made in the 2021 CHIPs and Science Act to supercharge semiconductor production in the United States, the tariffs will not be a vehicle for economic growth. These tariffs, in conjunction with the lack of investment from companies out of fear and confusion, will not be a vehicle for economic growth. Investing in a skilled workforce with long-term industrial strategies—not willy-nilly tariffs—will be the catalyst for reshoring the manufacturing revitalization that Americans are promised.
5. Pursue industrial policies that bring the entire ecosystem together.
Companies, universities, and entities of government should work collectively to address national needs, from national defense to environmental sustainability. For example, Louisiana State University (LSU) is the recipient of the National Science Foundation’s Engines Program, a multidisciplinary funding initiative aimed at fostering innovative ecosystems, developing local talent, and commercializing research activities. Louisiana has launched a statewide effort, Future Use of Energy (FUEL), focusing on a clean energy transition and a decarbonization of Louisiana’s industrial corridor. Universities and community colleges in the state are participants, along with industry partners such as Shell. Louisiana is leveraging their ecosystem to be a global player in the petrochemical industry. Industrial policies that incentivize innovation, such as FUEL, will revitalize manufacturing and prepare a workforce for jobs in critical technologies and materials. Unfortunately, repeals of inflation reduction act tax credits for advanced manufacturing and critical minerals have made this vision harder.
Looking Ahead
The manufacturing worker crisis will not be rectified with incremental approaches to recruiting talent. It will take policies that grow manufacturing jobs with wages that promote economic security, pathways for professional advancement, and an inclusive workplace culture. Strategic recruiting efforts and sustainable trade policy will spur more manufacturing investment and good jobs for workers, creating a virtuous cycle. Let’s use Manufacturing Month this year to help rebuild the sector’s workforce by delivering the quality of jobs worth celebrating.
Tags: manufacturing, employment, us economy