While the many events of Manufacturing Month are winding down across Minnesota, CareerForce will continue to highlight the many career paths and employment opportunities in this critically important industry. Below, view photos from some of the career exploration and other manufacturing focused events that took place during October 2024.
There are always many opportunities to highlight in manufacturing. That’s because more than 8,500 manufacturing companies across Minnesota make a wide range of products to improve the lives of people around the world - from medical devices to food to recreational vehicles and everything in between.
And it’s easy to see why people are interested in working in manufacturing. In addition to the satisfaction that comes with making something that makes a difference, manufacturing work pays well. In fact, manufacturing workers earned an average annual wage of just under $79,000, which is 10% higher than the state’s overall average private sector wage in 2023.
There is a big demand for people to work in manufacturing positions in Minnesota, now and into the future - making it a strong career path choice. In fact, Minnesota expects more than 93,000 job openings for manufacturing production positions through 2032. Many of these jobs are in state-of-the-art facilities using cutting edge technology.
One of the ways Minnesota celebrates Manufacturing Month is through the Statewide Tour of Manufacturing, during which manufacturers across the state open their doors to students, parents, educators and others. The goal: to help raise awareness about manufacturing careers and inspire more Minnesotans to follow this rewarding career path. This year, there were more than 300 events included in the statewide tour.
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development marks Manufacturing Month in a variety of ways, from hosting hiring events at CareerForce locations, to sharing research about the manufacturing labor market in Minnesota’s various regions to the regional Workforce Strategy Consultant team coordinating events in their parts of the state to showcase the industry.
While Manufacturing Month 2024 is wrapping up; resources for exploring careers and finding employment in this dynamic industry live on. Check out the links below.
- Visit the Manufacturing Industry page on CareerForceMN.com, which has links to many resources
- Find out how the Workforce Strategy Consultant team assists manufacturing and other employers find the workers they need
- Contact staff at a CareerForce location near you for help finding employment – or employees!
