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I think I may have overstepped my bounds a bit in recent posts. Based on the latest employment situation reports, as well as my best judgment, I more or less dismissed the idea of manufacturing as a viable career. For explicit proof, see the following excerpt taken from my post on the payroll numbers from January:

So, what advice is there to gain from January’s BLS report? First, steer clear of jobs in the goods-producing sector in the upcoming year — or at least anything related to non-essential goods. Service is a stronger alternative, as health care continues to prove its resiliency.

While my advice regarding the health care industry was well-founded, I’ll admit that I was quick to discount the opportunities available in various goods-producing sectors. In my overview of February’s employment situation report, I stated that the strength of the economy lies in the service industries right now. This is a better way of phrasing our current situation. Because even though the goods-producing industries as whole lost nearly 90,000 jobs last month, that’s only a small fraction of the entire employment picture (think 0.006 percent of the U.S. civilian labor force). And a loss like that impacts the perception of our country’s economy a whole lot more than the fate of individual workers.

That being said, the manufacturing industry is in a recession. The sector has dropped close to three million jobs since 2001, and more than 80,000 manufacturing positions have been lost in the first two months of 2008 alone. But a detail that’s easily overlooked, or at least one that was missed by yours truly, is that not all manufacturing professions are suffering. In actuality, manufacturing jobs requiring a mix of advanced skills in areas such as math, science, and technology have grown by 37 percent; and 80 percent of U.S. manufacturers report a lack of qualified job applicants to choose from. In a way, it’s like a job shortage hidden within a recession. And you wonder why some people have given up on trying to analyze the country’s job market…

Because of the scarcity of skilled professionals pursuing careers in manufacturing, and the negative, outdated stereotypes surrounding the industry, The National Association of Manufacturers recently teamed up with several national partners to launch the Dream It. Do It. campaign. The campaign was initially introduced in Kansas City, and the purpose behind it is to educate young adults about the unconventional, lesser known careers in manufacturing worth pursuing. Following the success of Dream It. Do It. in Kansas City, the movement has since spread to several other regions within the U.S. The advertising campaign has also begun circulating around YouTube, Facebook, and MySpace.

A few of the dream jobs featured on the Dream It. Do It. website include bioprocess supervisors, electronics engineering technicians, food science technicians, mechanical engineers, and robotics technicians. Food science technicians are responsible for testing consumer food products and creating nutrition labels, and they make close to $50,000 a year with a bachelor’s degree. Bioprocess supervisors oversee the creation of products like pharmaceuticals and pesticides, while robotics technicians design everything from remote-controlled bulldozers to robotic appendages. You can view all of the profiled manufacturing careers here. The education required for each profession ranges from a high school diploma with an apprenticeship to a Ph.D., and the salaries fluctuate in about the same way. Be sure to browse through all the career profiles to gain a better sense of contemporary manufacturing, and to rid yourself of the visions of assembly line workers dancing through your head.

In all honesty, I was shocked and excited to begin my morning with information that is so contradictory to everything that we’re reading today about the U.S. economy and its weaker industries. If you are willing to get the necessary training and education, and research your preferred industry extensively, you can most likely find worthwhile employment opportunities in any sector. And I know that makes me (and hopefully you) feel a little more at ease about a few pitiful BLS reports.