I’ll openly admit this now. I have been guilty of putting myself on a pedestal and looking down upon community colleges, vocational and technical schools. I have been guilty of turning my nose up at jobs that aren’t deemed “professional.” Now, as a soon-to-be college grad on the stressful job search journey, I realize that maybe the joke is on me.
I distinctly remember sitting in a work meeting this summer when a woman spoke up and said it’s not uncommon for a welder to make up to $70,000 per year, “much more than someone with a college degree in communications.” Let’s just say a tight smile crept across my face as I prayed that she wouldn’t ask what my major was.
This was shocking to me. For years I have regrettably considered myself “better” than my peers who opted to go to community colleges, or not attend college at all. Now I’m finding that some of them will make more money than me. Looking back, I wish I would’ve been more educated on the long-term effects of picking the career path that I did, such as how much money I would be making for the rest of my life. However, it doesn’t really matter to me because I absolutely love my major and the career path I have chosen, and I can’t really picture myself in any other role, especially not a welder, even it pays more than someone working in public relations.
However, high schools are filled with students who are clueless when it comes to what major to choose, what type of education they want, or whether they even want to continue their education. This is where parents, teachers and counselors need to step up and offer some guidance on promising career paths. Iowa has one of the highest graduation rates in the country….so what are we going to do with those graduates? This is where I want to step up and offer some information on manufacturing.
MANUFACTURING?! You mean those dirty factories with clutter everywhere and dangerous and horrible repetitive jobs?! No, I’m talking about the current manufacturing industry. The industry that includes sparkling showrooms featuring the latest technologies, filled with highly skilled professionals that are responsible for some pretty incredible breakthroughs.
We need to get over the stereotypes and accept the fact that the average worker in the advanced manufacturing industry can make $77,000 per year. (This is kind of heartbreaking for me, especially when the median annual wage for a public relations specialist is $54,170.) HOWEVER, this is fabulous news for students who are not four-year university-bound. They need to know about this opportunity. They need to see a career in advanced manufacturing as promising – not a last resort.
So students, parents, teachers and counselors – listen up. Iowa’s $31.2 billion advanced manufacturing industry is the state’s largest single business sector. Yup. We produce the most corn, soybeans, pigs, and eggs in the U.S. but our manufacturing industry brings in three times more than farming. With our top manufactured exports being tractors, bulldozers, graders and loaders, insecticides and herbicides, and tractor parts.
However, providing ag equipment isn’t all we do. There are careers in the automotive industry as well. You could go work for Alcoa in Davenport and help make Ford’s 2015 F-150. Or if the automotive industry isn’t your passion, you could work for other companies such as 3M, John Deere, Rockwell Collins, Vermeer, and Winnebago.
Oh, and then there’s the food and ingredient industry. Thirty-four of the 100 largest food manufacturers/processors are located in Iowa. We are home to the largest cereal mill (Quaker Oats) and largest spice plant (Tone’s) in North America. (Yeah, that’s the spicy scent that you smell every time you drive down I-35.) Or if you’re a fan of pasta, ketchup, Easy Mac, bacon, chocolate or chicken nuggets (and who isn’t?!) you could work for companies like Barilla, Heinz, Kraft, Hormel, Nestle or Tyson. These manufacturers contribute to the fact that Iowa produces one-eleventh of the nation’s food supply. (!!!!!!)
The National Association of Manufacturers estimates that more than two-thirds of their sector’s current skilled workforce will retire by 2030. This means there will be lots of job opportunities available…as well as opportunities to make a decent living.
The following data is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Most of these positions require that the employee is trained on the job or demonstrate competency through licenses or company-specific exams.
It’s kind of mind-blowing to compare those numbers to the salaries of careers that require a four-year degree, such as:
- Human resources – $55,640
- Elementary education or theology – $43,000 (median annual wage according to Forbes)
- Visual and performing arts, social work or studio art – $42,000
- Early childhood education – $39,000
Obviously money isn’t the only factor to look at when selecting a career path. People do what they love. I love what I do and am incredibly exited for my future. But high school students need to look at all the factors and determine which careers will be worth the investment.
When looking at the income a person can make in advanced manufacturing without a four-year degree or a two-year degree, I feel ridiculous for ever dissing community colleges.
Because in reality, a student could go to DMACC and pay $8,160 in tuition and fees for a two-year degree, while I shell out $30,700 in 3.5 years of tuition and fees for a bachelor’s degree while potentially making less money than someone with a two-year degree. So maybe we should stop viewing community college as the “easy way out.” (I’m an in-state student attending a public university and that dollar difference is still astounding. Those numbers are also not including room and board.)
Does a career in advanced manufacturing sound appealing yet? Check out ElevateIowa.com, a campaign encouraging Iowa students to consider the opportunities within the high paying advanced manufacturing industry. Their website features a self assessment guide, where you answer a series of simple questions regarding your talents. You then get your results – positions within this industry that fit your talents. (Apparently I should look into careers in robotics or transportation & logistics.) It also lists schools that offer programs in that field, as well as a list of related job openings in Iowa.
So to sum it up, the advanced manufacturing industry has an image problem. And although I’ll never be a welder or work in robotics, I can take what my (possibly overpriced) bachelor’s degree has given me and help fix this image.
Dazzled Chatter 