Manpower's Rebekah Kowalski
Digital manufacturing is creating an abundance of new high-tech, well-paying jobs for workers.
These new roles, sometimes referred to as “new collar” or “skilled technical” jobs, require technical skills and training, and power the digital manufacturing revolution. Think robots, cobots, and automated production.
MxD spoke with Rebekah Kowalski about which new-collar digital manufacturing jobs will be in greatest demand in 2022. Kowalski is vice president of manufacturing solutions for Manpower, a leader in innovative workforce solutions that places about 3 million people in jobs globally every year.
“Technicians of all types are in high demand, as well as analysts and specialists,” Kowalski said. “And workers in these ‘new collar’ roles can earn excellent, family-supporting wages; between $55,000 and $80,000 a year, depending on location.”
Here are 22 digital manufacturing jobs that Kowalski says will be in high demand in 2022. Technicians of every kind, including:
- Electrical technicians
- Manufacturing technicians
- Automation technicians
- Field service technicians
- Robotics technicians
A model-based approach to engineering, design and production has also created demand for:
6. Process analysts
7. Process technicians
8. Process modelers
9. Testing and validation specialists
10. Prototype specialists
11. Automation and robotic-oriented CNC setup and programming operators
Cybersecurity skills are in high demand, Kowalski said. And global instability and overseas hackers are fueling the need for more cybersecurity experts.
An estimated 597,000 cybersecurity jobs are open right now, according to cyberseek.org, and cyber salaries can reach into the six figures. Manpower predicts that the following roles will be in demand this year:
12. Cyber systems operator
13. IT/OT compliance auditor
14. Cyber-physical asset controller
15. Business impact analyst
16. Industrial control systems analyst
17. Autonomous remote plant operator
18. Industrial process automation support specialist
19. Manufacturing execution system (MES) support specialist
20. Penetration (“Pen”) tester/ethical hacker
21. Industrial process automation support specialist
22. Electronic data interchange (EDI) analyst
High-paying cybersecurity jobs traditionally required a four-year degree, Kowalski said, but employers increasingly are becoming more open to associates’ degrees — or even candidates with experience and certifications.
More manufacturers are also investing in upskilling programs for their workers.
“There’s a recognition among manufacturers that they can’t keep getting the talent they need from the market. They’re going to have to build from the talent pool they have,” Kowalski said. “Or they’re going to have to join forces with a community college or an organization like MxD to build the pipeline they are looking for.”
With support from the Siemens Foundation, MxD recently launched a training program with the University of Maryland-Baltimore County called Cybersecurity for Manufacturing Operational Technology. The CyMOT program takes 30 hours to complete, and participants get a certification in Manufacturing Cyber Systems Operation.
“Our partnership with MxD to build a comprehensive workforce strategy for cybersecurity in manufacturing is more important than ever for industry and for workers,” said David Etzwiler, CEO of the Siemens Foundation. “We’re excited about the work they’re doing with UMBC to open this opportunity up to more and more students across the country, whose skills will help secure U.S. digital manufacturing and their own economic prosperity.”
New participants can join the CyMOT program when a new cohort begins in April 2022. To learn more about CYMOT, visit mxdusa.org.
