According to the Manufacturing Institute, 2.7 million manufacturing professionals will retire in the next 8 years, and the replacement workforce is not yet there. Part of the issue is the need to update the misconception of manufacturing as being a “dirty job in a dirty place”, and to show its potential as a highly-skilled career option. This article details some of the training being done to show the high-tech side of manufacturing, which will better attract millennials to consider careers in the field. Online courses and hands-on work teach students theory, and community colleges work with 3D printers, laser cutters, and equipment that can show a finished product almost immediately. This is important to millennials who tend to want to see immediate results for their efforts.

Click here to read the full article in eCampus News