While summer seems like yesterday, the leaves are beginning to change and the season of fall is officially underway. We’re kicking off Manufacturing Month throughout Wisconsin during this first week of October.

Manufacturing is an integral part of our state’s history and future.

In 2014, manufacturing products accounted for 94.4 percent of all Wisconsin exports. That means our quality products and technologies are in high demand by consumers all around the world.

Through August of this year, Wisconsin created more than 31,000 manufacturing jobs. We’re ranked in the top ten states in the nation for manufacturing jobs created since we took office.

The latest job projections indicate Wisconsin employers will have almost one million jobs to fill between 2014 and 2024, tens of thousands of which will be in the manufacturing sector. 

While this is great news for manufacturing employers and employees alike, we anticipate needing to fill these high-demand jobs as the baby boomers start to retire.

So what are we doing to prepare the next generation of manufacturing workers in Wisconsin? For one, we’re continuing to invest in worker training programs, such as Youth Apprenticeship and Wisconsin Fast Forward.

These workforce development programs give Wisconsin students the opportunity to work in manufacturing environments hands-on to discover if this type of career is right for them, as well as learn the practical skills and knowledge they need to succeed in a manufacturing job.

During Manufacturing Month, we’re not only raising awareness about this important industry in our state, but we’re also working with local businesses and encouraging them to partner with local high school and technical colleges to expose our students to careers in manufacturing.

These efforts don’t stop as soon as Manufacturing Month is over. By investing in our workers, partnering with manufacturing businesses, and building awareness about this important industry, we will continue to keep Wisconsin’s manufacturing tradition and our talent pipeline strong for generations to come.

To learn more about manufacturing month or to register to host or attend a manufacturing month event, click below.

Thank you to those who joined us and submitted questions for our first Facebook Live.

We had a great time discussing the state of Wisconsin.

We received an excellent list of questions, from you, the people of Wisconsin and we’re going to continue hosting these Q&A sessions going forward as a way to interact with and hear from people via Facebook and other forms of social media.

Your questions covered a variety of topics, including the unemployment rate, new businesses, the upcoming budget, education, transportation, healthcare, welfare, the tuition freeze, and more.

We look forward to our next Facebook Live. We hope you will be able to join us.

To see a video of our first Facebook Live, click on the link below.