Makers on the Move bus tour showcases STEM careers in Illinois

The Makers on the Move bus tour began on Manufacturing Day, Friday, Oct. 7, at the College of Lake County’s new Advanced Technology Center in Gurnee. From there, the fully wrapped, 56-foot bus travelled throughout state accompanied by industry advocates, educators, economic development organizations, public officials and other dignitaries.

On Monday, Oct. 10, the tour was welcomed to Chicago by Mayor Lori Lightfoot during a stop at Howe Corp., a fourth-generation family-owned manufacturer specializing in refrigeration equipment and flake ice machines.

“On behalf of our city, I am pleased to welcome the Makers on the Move bus tour that will demonstrate to local high schools, colleges and manufacturers that there are many sustainable, important career pathways in this field to take advantage of,” Mayor Lightfoot said. “I applaud the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association’s advocacy and dedication to strengthening our labor market and changing working peoples’ lives while uplifting our local economy.”

On Thursday, Oct. 13, the tour stopped at Watchfire Signs in Danville, Ill. Watchfire employees, including President and CEO Steve Harriott, signed the bus. Arlen Kerst, a welder at Watchfire for 10 years, gave a speech about how he learned more than a trade at Watchfire, he’s also learned character, humility, integrity and the value of working with your hands.

“If we can cultivate those values in high schools and in colleges of Illinois and communicate to and encourage the young people of our communities that they are capable of so much more than what they think, that there’s purpose in the work of their hands, we will no doubt raise up the next generation to be successful in the trades of manufacturing,” he said.

These are just a few of the 19 stops on the Makers on the Move tour. The tour made its final top on Friday, Oct. 14, at the Illinois Capitol Building. The public was invited to join in the festivities at all the tour stops to learn how to become a part of Illinois’ manufacturing industry.

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“It’s been an exciting week on the road, where we sampled Eli’s Cheesecake and Beer Nuts; toured a massive Walmart Distribution Center that ships 6 million cases to 170 stores each week; visited Ingersoll Machine Tools, which holds two entries in the Guinness Book of World Records for their ground breaking products; and stopped by Macon Resources that employs developmentally disabled workers who have made 150 million Illinois license plates over the last 40 years. And that barely scratches the surface of the great work our manufacturers do every day,” said Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the IMA. “Manufacturing is diverse, sustainable and innovative, with artificial intelligence, robotics, 5G and virtual reality transforming the industry and our world. There’s no better time to explore a career in manufacturing, and manufacturers are ready to train and hire a new generation of leaders who will move our state and nation forward.”

A recent study from IMA found the total economic impact of manufacturing in Illinois is estimated to be between $580 billion and $611 billion every year – the largest share of any industry to the state’s Gross Domestic Product. Manufacturing directly employs 662,298 workers but ultimately supports as many as 1,771,928 jobs, generating up to $150 billion in labor income for Illinois residents annually. In all, it’s estimated that the manufacturing industry supports nearly 30 percent of all jobs in Illinois, making it among the state’s largest industry sectors.

As part of the study, economists examined the manufacturing industry’s evolution in the face of rapid technological development, with trends suggesting a shift toward a higher-skilled workforce. In the next six years, it’s estimated there will be a 21% increase in employment growth for process control programmers and a 10% increase in demand for industrial engineers. These in-demand occupations likely need a post-secondary credential or some college, underscoring the importance of working closely with education institutions, policy makers and manufacturers to provide specialized training, and the need to further expand workforce training across the state to better prepare Illinois residents to enter high-demand fields.