Austin Polytechnical Academy, Chicago’s newest high school, looks to refresh manufacturing’s image and encourage students to pursue careers in an industry ailing from a lack of skilled workers.

Check out this video from Medill Reports, May 28, 2008.

And in a related article from Medill Reports, Chicago:

In 2007, Ronald Bullock, chairman and CEO of Bison Gear and Engineering Corp., joined with 12 local businesses and the College of DuPage to create a training program in core manufacturing skills. 

Bullock’s efforts to expand and better educate his workforce might come as a surprise given the prevailing public image of U.S. manufacturing as a struggling, outdated industry.

In reality, it’s far removed from your father’s greasy shoproom floor or manual-labor-intensive assembly line. The Midwest states, inaptly still termed the Rust Belt by national political reporters, are home to increasingly high-tech, highly-efficient and high-income manufacturers. Sophisticated modern machines are continuously enhancing companies’ productivity, and the folks who can operate them are earning impressive wages….

A 2005 survey from the Washington, D.C.-based National Association of Manufacturers reported that 81 percent of respondents were experiencing a shortage of qualified workers, a gap that threatens to widen as baby boomers head for retirement. The average employee in the industry is 55 years old, according to NAM spokeswoman Laura Narvaiz.

In Illinois, a state that derives roughly 13 percent of its gross domestic product from manufacturing, the shortage threatens to reach crisis proportions.