Here is a sampling of jobs you’ll find in Minnesota’s manufacturing firms:

• Team assemblers
• Supervisors of production workers
• Machinists
• Welders
• Assemblers and fabricators
• Production helpers
• Inspectors
• Sales representatives
• Customer service representatives
• Shipping clerks
• Industrial machinery mechanics
• Freight and stock material movers
• Industrial engineers
• Operations managers
• Mechanical engineers
• Office clerks
• Industrial truck and tractor operators
• Bookkeeping and accounting clerks
• Truck drivers
• Purchasing agents

What Employers Want

This year, employers from around the state participated in conversations to address the state’s growing skills gap. These Workforce Assessments sessions were championed by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and local chambers across the state, in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, the Minnesota Initiative Foundations, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, and other private, public, and non-profit organizations.

Minnesota manufacturers identified these skills as key to their future workforce:

• Math
• Communication
• Teamwork
• Critical thinking
• Problem-solving
• Ability to learn
• Project management