The manufacturing industry is tied into the identity of the United States. Manufacturing is an integral part of the U.S. economy, and is stronger now than it has been in years. The U.S. manufacturing industry has added more than 700,000 jobs since February of 2010, which is the fastest growth rate in the industry since the 1990s. Manufacturing is in a good spot now, but it looks like it will only get better as President Obama announced plans to bolster the industry in the United States.
The President announced executive actions that will continue to increase job growth, encourage investment, advance technology in manufacturing, and lead to innovation in the industry.
So far, the government has already invested close to $1 billion dollars in community colleges. This investment pays for upgrades that will produce a better trained and higher skilled workforce in the U.S. manufacturing industry. They have also increased investment in cross-cutting manufacturing technologies, and introduced an initiative to employ returning veterans in highly-skilled manufacturing jobs.
The new executive actions are geared towards enabling innovation, securing the talent pipeline, and improving the business climate in manufacturing.
Over $300 million will be invested in manufacturing innovations. The investment will encourage technological advancements that will keep the United States up to date in manufacturing. The manufacturing industry is growing across the world, and if the U.S. will have to stay innovative in order to stay competitive. Encouraging partnerships and collaborations between universities and manufacturers will promote this type of technological advancement.
To secure the talent pipeline, the focus will be on communicating the value of advanced manufacturing careers in the United States. National Manufacturing Day will inform students about the importance and value of manufacturing. The Department of Labor will also launch a $100 Million American Apprenticeships Grant Competition that will launch apprenticeship models in high-growth fields of manufacturing.
Staying competitive with the rest of the world in manufacturing require a good business climate. The report released by the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership calls for “building new intermediary services to help small manufacturers adopt new technologies and expand into new markets and calls for a public-private investment fund to help high tech manufacturing start-ups scale from pilots and prototypes into full scale U.S. commercial production, ensuring what is invented here can be made here.”
U.S. manufacturing is in a strong position at the moment, and it looks like it will only get stronger.