I’m not sure and maybe the type of work I’m describing isn’t traditional manufacturing. Machining and welding for instance are skilled trades but a big part of

I’m not sure and maybe the type of work I’m describing isn’t traditional manufacturing. Machining and welding for instance are skilled trades but a big part of modern manufacturing. Tool and dye press setup is another and one of many entry paths. We hear the same things in other non-manufacturing trades though like plumbing and carpentry and HVAC, etc. companies struggle to find reliable people when the money is good and prospects are stable. One contractor I had was a Ukrainian man with a math degree but went into tile work when he moved here because he found he could make more money doing it. Smart man in our conversations and humble but is massively in-demand in the general area because he’s so good at it and he’s paid like it.