Manufacturing
If you asked a random sampling of people about their perception of manufacturing in Central Massachusetts, chances are, most would reference an industry that has seen better days. Abandoned mills dot the landscape. Everyday we hear of jobs being lost to offshore competition. And the images of monotonous blue-collar jobs that don't pay well are burnt into the memories of many people.
Perception, however, isn't always reality and today's manufacturing in Central Massachusetts is poised for a revolution. In fact, manufacturing is one of the largest employment sectors in Central Massachusetts, offering competitive salaries and career opportunities. Within the next ten years, the impact of the Baby Boom generation leaving the workforce will leave a chasm of job opportunities waiting to be filled.
Today's manufacturing is driven by technology – things like advanced computer hardware, enterprise-wide systems software, electronics and robotic automation. This technology improves yields, quality and ultimately, the bottom line for a company. A dependence on technology also means a need for more technically-oriented and creative employees to perform a variety of jobs including:
- Technicians
- Supervisors and Managers
- Engineers
- Quality Assurance
These jobs all fall within the manufacturing realm — and all, are very viable as career choices. A recent study released by the National Association of Manufacturing and the Manufacturing Institute reports that 81% of American manufacturers say their biggest problem is finding qualified workers. In fact, the nation's economic well-being could very well be dependent upon finding qualified employees to fill manufacturing jobs in industries like these:
- Aerospace
- Automotive
- Biotechnology
- Communications
- Defense
- Electronics
- Fiber Optics
- Industrial Products
- Machinery
- Marine Technologies
- Medical Devices
- Pharmaceuticals
- Renewable Energy
- Semiconductors and Circuitry
©2010 Mass-TEC: Support for this project is provided by the Advanced Technological Education program at the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0703040