During the recent celebration of Manufacturing Day, thousands of U.S. manufacturers showcased the realities of modern manufacturing to students as a way to inspire the next generation.

The importance of this can’t be overemphasized. During the next decade, four million U.S. manufacturing jobs will need to be filled, according to a workforce study by The Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte. The study reports that a skills gap may leave more than half of those manufacturing jobs unfilled through 2028, creating $2.5 trillion of unrealized economic impact.

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