First-of-Its-Kind Workforce Campaign Heads to the Twin Cities to Promote Exciting Career Opportunities in Modern Manufacturing

The National Association of Manufacturers, the Manufacturing Institute—the workforce development and education affiliate of the NAM—Union Pacific Railroad and Trane Technologies are bringing the industry-leading Creators Wanted campaign to St. Paul, Minnesota, in collaboration with the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. The tour stop will be hosted by Saint Paul College from Tuesday, Sept. 19, through Thursday, Sept. 21, and will include a premier event open to the public at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 19.

The U.S. manufacturing industry will need to fill 4 million jobs by 2030—jobs that could be left unfilled because of a skills gap and misperceptions about modern manufacturing. To help close that gap, the Creators Wanted campaign aims to recruit 600,000 new manufacturing team members and improve the positive perception of the industry by inspiring, educating and empowering the next generation of creators in the United States.

“The competitiveness of manufacturing in the United States starts today, by inspiring and building the future workforce,” said NAM President and CEO and MI Chairman of the Board Jay Timmons. “Creators Wanted is not only a campaign to give students and jobseekers the resources and paths for well-paying and rewarding careers but also our industry’s call to the nation to join us and create a better future for all.”

The three-day program in the Twin Cities strives to ignite meaningful memories and conversations about modern manufacturing in the U.S. with students, educators, policymakers and community leaders. The event is anchored by the campaign’s immersive, escape room–style mobile manufacturing experience.

“The Creators Wanted campaign is driving the next generation of manufacturing in the United States,” said Union Pacific Executive Vice President of Marketing and Sales Kenny Rocker. “Our commitment to Creators Wanted is an extension of Union Pacific’s Careers on Track initiative, designed to inspire more women and youth to pursue modern industrial careers. This decade-long commitment will work hand-in-glove with initiatives like Creators Wanted to help us empower more people to succeed and to help build America.”

Since launching the tour in October 2021, more than 10,000 students and 3,000 career mentors have participated in the Creators Wanted Tour—with 84% of participants reporting a significantly improved view of manufacturing after the experience. The campaign has also built an email roster of more than 1.4 million students and career mentors interested in manufacturing careers and an online resource of jobs and training programs at CreatorsWanted.org, powered by FactoryFix, which gives students, jobseekers and their career mentors access to 330,000 job openings and 150,000 training programs.

“As creators, the students of today can make a difference in our community and in the world with the work they choose to do,” said Dave Molin, Vice President, Product Management, Trane. “Companies like Trane Technologies can offer meaningful career options in high-demand fields like data analytics, building automation, sustainability, and HVAC service. We are proud to be part of Creators Wanted in support of our focus on building career pathways to green and STEM professions.”

“The future of manufacturing has a place for everyone,” said MI President and Executive Director Carolyn Lee. “With hundreds of thousands of manufacturing job openings right now and millions more openings expected in the next decade, it is imperative that we cultivate the skills and talent needed to bolster our future workforce. Creators Wanted in the Twin Cities is bringing students, parents, educators and industry leaders together to change perceptions, have impactful conversations that will leave an imprint and ultimately help us grow the manufacturing workforce as more and more jobs become available.”

“The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to welcome the Creators Wanted campaign to the Twin Cities,” said Minnesota Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Doug Loon. “Minnesota is full of opportunity, and we couldn’t be more excited to show students what exciting manufacturing opportunities are right in front of them in their home state.”

"We are thrilled to welcome Creators Wanted to our campus and community," said Saint Paul College President Deidra Peaslee. "This initiative aligns seamlessly with our commitment to graduating students into high-wage, high-demand fields. We are excited to be part of an event that will help reshape perceptions about manufacturing careers and inspire a fresh wave of creators."

Minnesota Manufacturing Facts:

• Through the first six months of 2023, there were 7,916 unique manufacturing job openings in Minnesota, with 16,271 over the past 12 months.