Our area may be facing a labor shortage in the manufacturing sector. During an address to community leaders at the Advanced Manufacturing Training Center in Milton Friday, Blackhawk Technical College President Tracy Peirner warned of a growing need for skilled workers. Peirner says over the next decade, of this areas 90,000 workers, 60,000 are expected to retire. He says the current rate of 10% of high school seniors entering technical schools, will not meet the need. He says the percentage needs to be closer to 50%. Another consideration is to get students interested in technical school earlier. He says too many start college, only to drop out and go to technical school, but already saddled with student debt. BTC worked with local businesses last week to expose more than 1000 area high schoolers to potential careers in manufacturing through company tours and discussions.
