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20 S T U F F • F a l l 2 0 1 6 Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics January 2016 February 2016 March 2016 Average Engineering occupation employment employment employment weekly wage Manufacturing is third best paying industry in Worcester County heard they have good labor prac- tices. "The fact that there isn't anything current is problematic," in regard to positive modern programming, said Toby Bergstrom, director of the Haas Technical Education Center at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Lost in translation According to Bergstrom and others, Central Mass. has ample resources to train the up-and-com- ing workforce, but interest could be stronger. These long-standing impressions about manufacturing likely play a role, he said. "There have been times where we have had money to run the class — and don't have enough signups," Bergstrom said of the advanced CNC training program WPI runs in partnership with Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partner- ship (MassMEP). The best portrayals The most recent positive portrayals of manufacturing come from characters Ron Swanson from "Parks & Recreation" and Jay Pritchett of "Modern Family." In "Parks & Recreation," which Lee Duerden, of Quinsigamond Community College, said the percep- tions of the manufacturing industry still align with 30-year-old pop cul- ture portrayals. Private, financial activities 16,256 16,253 16,181 $1,752 Private, information 4,716 4,662 4,656 $1,653 Private, manufacturing 35,004 34,900 34,958 $1,506 Private, goods-producing 48,711 48,126 48,613 $1,397 Private, professional and business services 33,648 33,843 33,779 $1,279 Federal government 2,952 2,931 2,939 $1,259 State government 13,458 14,583 14,787 $1,155 Private, construction 12,996 12,531 12,917 $1,143 Local government 32,611 32,643 33,617 $955 Private, service-providing 235,077 234,027 234,684 $906 Private, education and health services 77,316 77,318 77,468 $887 Private, trade, transportation, and utilities 63,481 62,530 62,738 $774 Private, natural resources and mining 711 695 738 $654 Private, leisure and hospitality 29,803 29,588 29,914 $342 Total for all private industries 283,788 282,153 283,297 $990 Total for all industries and ownership types 332,809 332,310 334,640 $996