As our economy continues to recover, manufacturers across Minnesota are facing a surprising challenge.  Many good-paying manufacturing jobs in central Minnesota and across our state are going unfilled because there are not enough qualified employees to fill them.   That's tragic when so many people are out of work.

This week, as we celebrate "Minnesota Manufacturer's Week," we are not only reminded of the important role manufacturing will play in our state's economic recovery, but also of the need for industry leaders and policymakers to work together to ensure that we produce enough well-trained workers to allow employers to expand and innovate. 

There is no disputing that manufacturing is critical to Minnesota's economic success.  It accounts for one in every seven jobs in our state.  In central Minnesota alone, 36,000 people-or 14 percent of the region's workforce-are employed in manufacturing.  They earn an average of $40,000, with some jobs paying as much as $94,000.

My son Joe recently went back to school to study engineering and business because since he started taking apart car engines in 8^th grade, he's wanted to make things right here in America.   For him to succeed, his generation and the generations to follow will need the core tools and the training to prepare them for the 21^st century economy.

Unfortunately, as the first baby boomers begin to retire next year, the number of well-trained entry-level workers to replace them could leave Minnesota employers tens of thousands of workers short.

The looming shortage of qualified workers is partly due to the outdated perceptions that many young people have about manufacturing jobs. Educators and employers around the state have told me that students often are unaware of manufacturing job opportunities and the skills they need to pursue them.

We can rekindle student interest by showing them that manufacturing is alive and well in Minnesota. The days of assembly line workers doing routine tasks in dirty factories are largely gone.  They've been replaced by workplaces that need tech-savvy employees who are trained to compete in a global marketplace.

I have visited manufacturers all over Minnesota and found that today's employers need workers with science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills who can quickly master multiple tasks, using high-tech machinery and tools.  They wince when they hear about education cuts and declining enrollment in our technical colleges.  Even cuts in high school Industrial Arts classes mean students are less exposed to manufacturing and the STEM skills that employers need.

Earlier this year, I toured Pine Technical College in Pine City, and was amazed at the high-tech education students need to prepare for manufacturing careers.  As I tried the school's computer simulators, I realized how dramatically manufacturing jobs have changed and how manufacturing represents a whole world of good-paying career opportunities for people with the right training.

As a member of the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, I know that arming students with the core STEM skills they need should be a central priority as we update federal education laws like "No Child Left Behind" in the coming months.

In Central Minnesota, manufacturers are proactively pointing students toward STEM careers by sponsoring student tours of local businesses.  And many high schools in the region have adopted Project Lead the Way, a curriculum which helps students develop STEM skills and get excited about technical careers.

During Minnesota Manufacturer's Week, our state should not only celebrate the strength of Minnesota's manufacturers, but also work to teach the next generation of workers that a career in manufacturing means a good-paying career in the jobs of the future. 

People interested in a manufacturing career can learn more by visiting the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development's new website, www.MNManufacturingCareers.org.