For most folks who will graduate this year, the manufacturing industries may rank fairly low on their list of potential careers. However, there are many reasons why a recent grad should take a serious look at working in manufacturing.

The manufacturing sector is experiencing an ever-increasing skills gap largely due to the jobs having a negative stigma attached: They are dirty, low-paying jobs with long hours that don’t require much skill.

In truth, the manufacturing sector has changed significantly in recent years and those negative descriptors don’t really apply anymore, if they ever did.

Throughout the last few decades, a lot of the unskilled positions in manufacturing have been automated. To put it another way, skilled, educated employees are often necessary to operate and sustain the machines that now make the things we use.

There are several good reasons why recent grads should give manufacturing a serious look. Incidentally, those seeking to pursue this avenue of employment should consider some training or even a temporary position to pad their resumes before diving headfirst into a manufacturing sector.

The Labor Market Is in Your Favor

The manufacturing industry is anxiously in need of qualified employees. A recent report from the National Association of Manufacturers indicates that 67 percent of organizations reported a moderate to serious shortage of available, qualified employees, a situation that is expected to get worse in the coming years. Another report from ThomasNet.com revealed 80 percent of the existing manufacturing workforce is between the ages of 45 and 65. With one third between 55 and 64 years old, manufacturing is facing a doomsday clock with respect to labor shortages.

Recent graduates in areas like technology, science or mathematics can locate a manufacturing job without having to search too hard. Furthermore, every manufacturer is still a company with administrative needs, so a business degree will typically translate to a solid entry-level career.

There Are Many Opportunities Available

With more than 17 million jobs in the manufacturing sector, the massive variety of positions available is can be mind boggling. There are still jobs on production lines available, but the arrival of technology has diversified the manufacturing sector, with all types of roles.

Currently, floor jobs and engineering positions are just a small portion of a manufacturing job. If you’re the innovative type, you might like to work in prototyping, creating the products of the future. If you’re better in an office environment, there’s also a spot for you. You could think about being an HR professional, or if you’re artistic, you may want to think about working in marketing, making certain that customers locate out approximately your company’s product range. No matter what your skills are, manufacturing could use you and there’s never been a better chance to find a role to excel in.

At Cornerstone, we have years of experience placing recent graduates in positions where they can succeed. If you’re set to graduate this December, please feel free to contact us to see what opportunities we currently have available.