Manufacturing
Tourism
While the manufacturing industry has many facets , its workforce woes mirror that of other industries worried about the upcoming retirement of a generation .
“ The workforce needs for manufacturing are significant in West Virginia and will only grow with the aging of the current manufacturing workforce ,” says Rebecca McPhail , president of the West Virginia Manufacturers Association . “ Many manufacturing professionals will be eligible for retirement in the coming decade and building a strong talent pipeline is essential to continued industry growth .”
Manufacturing , as an industry , offers a wide range of career opportunities from entry-level frontline work , which requires little post-secondary education ; to engineers — specialty , technicians — which vary by sector ; and administrative professionals in health and safety , human resources , accounting and sales .
“ West Virginia offers some of the country ’ s best programs in our public high schools for career and technical education ,” says McPhail . “ The career and technical education programs offered in our high schools are also a great bridge for students who want to pursue post-secondary education and certificate opportunities in the higher education system .”
While the COVID-19 pandemic hit the hospitality industry hard , West Virginia is now the exact type of destination travelers seek in 2021 : wide open spaces , mountain towns and first-class outdoor recreation .
To continue this growth , Secretary of Tourism Chelsea Ruby aims to introduce a younger audience to all the opportunities available in the tourism industry .
“ To ensure our workforce grows to support the increased demand in visitation we ’ ve seen in recent years , we need to introduce tourism to our younger generation ,” Ruby says . “ With so much young talent in West Virginia , it ’ s our job to teach them about careers in tourism , hospitality and recreation .”
Programs like WVU ’ s undergraduate degree in hospitality and tourism management , or any of the Mountain State ’ s community and technical colleges programs are great ways to educate young people about tourism .
“ From hoteliers , restaurateurs and small business owners , to tour operators and advertising and social media managers , there are roles available across the industry that span a variety of skill sets ,” Ruby says . “ The West Virginia product is sought after by travelers today , and our state ’ s tourism industry has seen unprecedented growth in recent years .” •
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