Give Work A Chance: Future Outlook

During the last 30 years, there’s been a mass exodus of manufacturing jobs where over 300,000 jobs were eliminated due to offshoring of textiles, furniture and mass manufacturing. The middle-class jobs were decimated throughout Davidson County and the state.

 Many local communities and schools became saturated with citizens living below poverty levels. With the loss of Lexington Furniture, Thomasville Furniture and numerous textile firms, retail and services jobs replaced manufacturing. However, wage levels in restaurants and retail are significantly less than manufacturing options. Many of our youth moved to larger cities for employment where higher wage jobs could be found.

 North Carolina is no longer the evacuation state but now the manufacturing destination state due to land availability and the strength of community college systems to upgrade area talent. 

 We not only have to prepare for the new companies but also the vacuum jobs that are going to be created from existing employers who migrate to the new well publicized companies. We can't forget to support our existing companies. We can't let the companies that have supported our area for decades become destabilized by new employers.

 Sadly, the residue of old manufacturing still taints parents from encouraging their families to pursue these lucrative and mentally stimulating career pathways. Used to be parents would say, “You better study or you will end up working in a factory.” Now, area youth would be well served to work in advanced manufacturing careers. 

 We need more of our youth to reconsider their future pathways and not just consider sports and entertainment options. They’re not as impactful and lucrative to long term socially impactful jobs in manufacturing.