The workforce is ever changing and jobs in manufacturing have become far and few in between. That’s all changing now. New technologies and changing societal values are bringing the spark of fabrication and production back to the forefront as the Manufacturers Alliance has shown optimism in the growth of manufacturing. With new manufacturing positions opening and the old crew retiring, you might be wandering how to get into it yourself. Luckily, the needs of manufacturers and producers are great and many.

Pick up a Welder

Heavy machines are incredibly powerful tools when automating factory processes, but they still need to be put together and operated. Every new product requires a new set of machinery to produce it. For this reason, over 300,000 welders are employed in the U.S. alone. With only six to eighteen months of vocational training, you could be in the industry.

Learn to Code

Factories are filled to the brim with task specific machinery. Every single one of them needs to be told what to do. With a little time to study and practice in digital environments, you could be the one to write the programming. Having a strong knowledge of CNC programming languages will almost guarantee you work in CNC manufacturing. “Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators and Programmers”, or CNC machinists for short, are around 1% of the workforce. With 360,000 CNC machinists and growing, this could be your path to a manufacturing career.

Learn the Tools of the Trade

Producing goods and products has a lot of logistic side effects for a manufacturer. From expanding factory floors to reworking a production line for new product or upgrades, machines are needed to fill new specific purposes. The process of designing, building, and setting up a production line takes a few good engineers. As a machinist, you can be the one to build and optimize factory machines. You can become a machinist by gaining an apprenticeship or finding vocational training.

Start a Print Mill

If you’re confident enough, there is always the option to start your own manufacturing factory. 3D Printing technology has come a long way from its inception. With as little as $2000, you can open your very own home-based print mill. You can manufacture products with a wide array of materials ranging from plastic resins and carbon fibers to concrete and metal. If you’re entrepreneurial and have a strong desire to get into manufacturing as well as run your own home business, start researching today!

While these aren’t the only ways to get into manufacturing, it’s a good start for your career change. Take advantage of the fourth industrial revolution to jump start a new life in manufacturing.