Will robots take over our jobs?

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Various schools and companies participated in Manufacturing Day on Friday, where they opened their doors to those potentially looking to get involved and learn more about the industry. 

Ivy Tech, one of the local participants, hosted over 100 students throughout the morning showing them various projects the school is working on, answering any questions they might have, and getting them excited about the growing available possibilities in this field. 

Also, the Bureau of Labor Statistics came out with the September Job Report that some might see as a yellow warning flag to those who look at the manufacturing industry as "weather vane" for recession.

While 136,000 jobs were added to the economy last month and the unemployment rate is at a 50-year-low at 3.5% many are afraid that we have been in the bull pen of a good economy for too long that a 2,000 job deficit in the manufacturing sector could be reason for caution.

However, those who know the industry best are saying many people just need to refocus their thinking. One thing they say is that people need to remember that the economy is cyclical--there will always be highs and lows. The challenge for communities like ours is to be ready for those harder times by having a prepared work force. 

In order to prepare our work force, we need to have interest in the "forever jobs" as Neil Sibenthal, a junior at Penn High School says. There will always be a demand for people to fix air conditioners, pluming, among a vast range of trade jobs.

But for those looking to get into a new field or something to prepare for the future: technical application is a huge push.