Connecticut is becoming a leader in the manufacturing industry, offering high pay and steady jobs for the vibrant workforce of the future. Connecticut\u2019s manufacturers build jet engines, helicopters, submarines; they are leaders in making things that affect the world. If you\u2019re interested in manufacturing, or looking to step into a steady industry that\u2019s growing every day, then pursuing a degree in manufacturing may be the path for you.<\/p>\n
In Connecticut, there are approximately 4,350 manufacturers employing over 163,300 workers. This manufacturing workforce earns $13.6 billion in wages and salaries annually, manufacturing CEO Robert Sobolewski told the Hartford Business Journal<\/a>. In 2012, Connecticut reported the highest average annual pay for manufacturing employees in the nation, with an average salary of $64,366, according to the U.S. Census Bureau<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Obama Administration also recently designated Connecticut under the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership initiative. With that designation, the state will receive support from 11 federal agencies with access to more than $1 billion in federal funding dedicated to economic development and the resurgence of manufacturing in the nation, according to an announcement by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy<\/a>. Connecticut was chosen largely due to its aerospace and defense industries, with industry leaders like East Hartford\u2019s own Pratt & Whitney. Manufacturing in the state will continue to grow for years into the future!<\/p>\n Today\u2019s manufacturing industry is also cleaner, safer, and more efficient than ever. And industry leaders are looking for a skilled, certified workforce to fill the growing needs of an expanding workforce. Manufacturers like Sobolewski say that they are worried about skilled labor shortages in the future as a workforce that skews older begins to retire.<\/p>\n