Photo: A man operating a TMU1R CNC Turning Center by whoisjohngalt

It's no secret that US manufacturing jobs have moved abroad. The industry that once employed almost 20 million Americans at its peak in 1979 now employs less than two-thirds that amount. That's hurt plenty of cities, families, and individuals.

But for anyone in manufacturing now or looking for work in the field, there's a silver lining: training and education. With the right set of skills, you could make yourself an attractive hire for any manufacturing employer.

Millions of jobs

We hear about manufacturing jobs leaving us. What we don't hear much about are the estimated 3.4 million jobs opening up in manufacturing over the next decade.

Of those jobs, about 80% will come from retiring baby boomers and the remainder from new jobs created from a growing economy.

That's fantastic news, but there's another problem.

A shortage of skilled workers

It was once possible to graduate from high school and immediately land a manufacturing job. That's not as likely to happen now.

Of the 3.4 million jobs that will become available, an astonishingly large number—2 million— of these jobs will go unfilled. That's because these jobs require more training and education beyond what students typically receive in high school.

It's not just a next decade problem, either. A survey conducted in 2015 found that 84% of manufacturing executives believed there was a talent shortage in US manufacturing. These executives pointed out four major skills that were hard to come by in the talent pool:

• Technology and computer
• Problem solving
• Basic Training
• Math and science

Because so few people have these skills, spending some time to get the training and certifications you need in these areas can set you apart from the others.

Where you can find training

Depending on where you're located, you may have access to different resources like job services or specialized training programs. These programs will often connect you to prospective employers as well.

However, if they aren't available to you or you want to get a jump on things now, look to online training programs. They could be just as effective especially if you can demonstrate your skills either in your interview or on the job.

To point you in the right direction, we've collected a list of eight useful courses that will prep you for your dream job in manufacturing.

These online courses can give you an edge

The best thing about online courses is that most are free or are relatively affordable (Lynda, for example, is $25 per month to access all of their courses).

These are suggestions, but you're encouraged to explore the 6,500+ courses on OpenCourser to find even more resources.

Technology and Computer Skills

• Windows 10 Essential Training from Lynda
• Analyzing and Visualizing Data with Excel from Microsoft
• Learning Word 2016 from Lynda

Windows, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Word are basic tools most manufacturing employers look for. Since most manufacturing jobs today will have you operate machinery and computers, demonstrating core computer literacy is increasingly important.

Problem Solving and Basic Training

• Master In-Demand Professional Soft Skills from Lynda
• Business Etiquette: Phone, Email, and Text from Lynda

Those who shine in manufacturing are strong communicators and listeners. They're also highly dependable. Yet, strong soft skills are hard to come by. If you master them, your chances of landing the job you want increase drastically. These are skills that employers clamor for.

Math and Science

• Introduction to algebra from Khan Academy
• Pre-Calculus: Trigonometry from University of California, Irvine
• How Things Work: An Introduction to Physics from University of Virginia

Math and science skills are ever important because complex machinery usually require manual calculations on your part. High school math and science courses cover what you'll need to know in manufacturing, but it always helps to brush up. We chose these courses based on what manufacturers today require.

If you enjoyed this post, have a success story you'd like to share, or a suggestion on how we could make this post better, please leave us a comment below!