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P E R C E P T I O N V S . R E A L I T Y
Changing the narrative
The manufacturing industry still struggles to change the
perception of dead-end jobs and layoffs from 30 years ago
By Sarah Connell
Manufacturers contributed $2.8 trillion to the economy last
year, so why does Generation Z view manufacturing as a
notoriously bleak industry?
The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) reports
that, "Over the next decade, nearly 3.5 million manufacturing
jobs will likely be needed, and 2 million are expected to go
unfilled due to the skills gap."
According to the Pew Research Institute, Gen-Z accounts for
more than 25 percent of America's population, and has just
begun to enter the job market.
Unfortunately, manufacturing is often
misunderstood.
Mark Paggioli of the manufacturer consulting organization
CONNSTEP believes manufacturing misconceptions
often begin with size. Americans have been led to believe
manufacturing operations only occur on a grand scale.
"In actuality, the percentage of
companies with 50 employees or under
is roughly 75 percent," Paggioli says.
