October really is one of our favorite months of the year! It marks the beginning of Fall, the leaves start to change, the air begins to get a little bit cooler, and October is manufacturing month of course! Manufacturing is one of the more important industries for Wisconsin accounting for 19 percent of our state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Therefore, Governor Walker has declared October, “Manufacturing Month” in conjunction with National Manufacturing Day which is celebrated on October 7^th.

What better way to celebrate how great manufacturing has been to the state of Wisconsin than dedicating a whole month to the industry. Manufacturing in WI is responsible for more than $57 billion worth of economic output and employing over 462,000 Wisconsinites according to wmc.org. There are great opportunities for manufacturing positions in Wisconsin between 2012 and 2022 for machinists (1,680); manufacturing sales representative (3,684); mechanical engineering (142); computer engineering (58); and electrical engineering (42) according to Wausaudailyherald.com.

October is a great time to get students in for facility tours and lessons about potential future careers in manufacturing.  Weldall Manufacturing, Inc. in Waukesha has taken the initiative and brought students in for tours at their location. This is part of a great program called Schools2Skills. TMJ4.com says, “High school students in Waukesha County toured local businesses Tuesday as part of a program aimed at piquing their interest in manufacturing careers.”