This Manufacturing Month, we have been pouring over news and articles about manufacturing in Greater Peoria and across the state of Illinois, and we are excited to share some of the top takeaways with you!
Manufacturing In Illinois Remains A "High-Growth Industry"
Some sectors experiencing the highest growth right now are:
Chemical Manufacturing
Robotics & Advanced Materials
Nanomaterials
Aircraft & Drone Manufacturing
Fabricated Metal Manufacturing
Machinery Manufacturing
This work is home to many of the top-priority occupations as well. As part of the Illinois State Plan for Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (you may know it as the Perkins Plan), educators and industry professionals in Illinois were tasked with refining Illinois' career and technical education (CTE) system. The goal was to promote success for students and their communities by fostering career pathways that both align with current and projected industry and community needs and support students' interests and goals.
These top priority occupations include:
Tool & Die Makers
Machinists
Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Computer Numeric Controller (CNC) Programmers
Welders
Industrial Machinery Mechanics
Electrical Engineering Technicians
Industrial Engineering Technicians
Mechanical Engineering Technicians
Mechanical Engineers
Industrial Engineers
It's important to note that a majority of those occupations do not require a college degree. In many cases a high school diploma and some industry-recognized credential is enough to earn in the top percentage of earners for a given role.
Over the next ten years, demand for these occupations is expected to grow across the nation, with an additional 3.8 million new jobs being needed to fill the need for manufacturing in the United States.
For students in Greater Peoria, now is a great time to start exploring career opportunities in manufacturing. You can start this process by:
Chat with your counselor and see if your school offers CTE classes in precision machining, welding, robotics, or other manufacturing-related skills
Get involved in clubs like welding, robotics, SkillsUSA, or others that will help you build your manufacturing and engineering skills
Pursue technical certifications through NIMS or OSHA to learn basic industry standards
Get into manufacturing facilities to see how high-speed automation, robotics, and state-of-the-art technology combine to create the products we use every day
Talk to professionals in the manufacturing industry and ask questions about their jobs and their career paths
Tell your teachers to connect with the Greater Peoria EDC if they want help arranging tours or getting professionals into the classroom to talk to you
The GPEDC is here to help encourage students to explore careers in manufacturing. We are also here to help employers connect with students and educators to promote their facilities and share their stories to reach the emerging workforce and spark interest in those students in your specific career pathways. You can contact us to support on facilitating tours, getting into classrooms, or connecting in other ways at workforce@greaterpeoria.edc.org
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