Featured Research

Future Careers in Manufacturing

Building a Stronger Manufacturing Workforce in Northern California

Manufacturing holds an important key to the economy of California, which is the nation’s largest manufacturing state. It supports a balanced and diversified economy, is an anchor for research and development (R&D), and provides well-compensated entry level jobs with significant opportunities for advancement. It also fills a critical gap in California’s employment structure between lower-paid service jobs and highly-paid employment in technology-related fields, providing opportunities for workers without advanced degrees. This study assesses drivers of change in Northern California’s manufacturing workforce, including the reshoring of manufacturing that is currently overseas, the realignment of global supply chains, the widespread adoption of digital technology in production processes, 3D printing, and the aging of the industrial workforce. The study also includes a discussion of biomedical manufacturing as a sector with distinct requirements.