On Manufacturing Day, we celebrate the fact that the United States remains the world's largest manufacturer, having increased its output by 73% over nearly the past 30 years. However, as U.S. Chamber Chief Operating Officer David Chavern notes, for U.S. manufacturing to stay on top, we must close a growing skills gap.

For earlier generations, workers without advanced skills or postsecondary education could make a good, stable living with a factory job. Today, the opportunities for unskilled workers are diminishing. Factory jobs are fewer and farther between, and many require advanced skills to run computers and automation systems. Consequently, labor shortages are a growing challenge for manufacturers. This is yet another sector being hit by the widening skills gap in America—and we must intensify our work to bridge that gap so manufacturing can continue to thrive and more Americans can be matched with today’s good jobs.

In this video, industry leaders and the Chamber's Margaret Spellings talk about the skills challenge.