By Virginia’s Gateway Region
In 2012, the National Association of Manufacturers proclaimed the first Friday in October to be recognized as Manufacturing Day. Today, Virginia’s Gateway Region joins communities nationwide as we celebrate modern manufacturing.
Manufacturing in Virginia alone employs roughly 230,000 members of our workforce and accounts for 8.95% of the Commonwealth’s total output. On a national scale, manufacturers contributed over $2 trillion to the U.S. economy last year. Manufacturing also boasts the highest multiplier effect of any economic sector with $1.81 injected into the economy for every dollar spent.
Due to the Gateway Region’s strong manufacturing heritage, this industry serves as a core factor of the region’s growth strategy. An area strong in manufacturing is a direct reflection of a skilled workforce and their relevant training resources and a strategic location with excellent infrastructure permitting efficient access to all markets and rapid transport of goods.
Over the next decade, nearly 3.5 million manufacturing jobs will be needed. Of those positions, 2 million are projected to go unfilled as a result of the existing skills gap. Virginia’s Gateway Region looks forward to working with local existing industry and workforce training centers to continue to grow one of the area’s strongest sectors and to inspire our future generation of manufacturers!