The New Face of Manufacturing: How a Community is Attracting a Skilled Workforce

When Jordan Twardy first stepped foot inside 3M's Hutchinson manufacturing facility, he had no idea what to expect. 'Seeing all the robots and the way things get made, it was so cool,' he says. The 19-year-old always had a knack for fixing things and getting his hands dirty, though these days manufacturing work is much cleaner than you might think. He knows that robots are capable of a lot, but he stresses that, first, they need people like him to tell them what we want them to do and to troubleshoot problems. That hands-on work is what excites Jordan.

To inspire other students like Jordan, the city of Hutchinson, Minnesota, is working on a $1.2 million project to educate students about manufacturing - a first of its kind effort in the state.

A native of Hutchinson, Jordan grew up with several manufacturing plants right in his own backyard. 'My dad works for a company that makes the boxes for 3M, so I've known about them since I was a kid,' he explains. In a few short months, he'll begin studying automation and robotics systems technology at Ridgewater College in his hometown.

Like other recent high school graduates, Jordan considered the type of career he wanted to pursue and whether that meant leaving home. Communities like Hutchinson heavily depend on retaining its workforce to fill open skilled-labor positions. Miles Seppelt, who serves as the economic development director for the city of Hutchinson, knows all too well about the shortages faced by many businesses in his community. 'The jobs are there,' says Miles. 'We just can't find the bodies to fill these positions.' In the summer of 2015, there were 35-45 job openings that local manufacturers couldn't fill due to the shortage of skilled workers, according the Hutchinson Economic Development Authority.