stop thinking small: 5 facts proving modern manufacturing is your next high-tech, high-paying career

When you think of manufacturing, what comes to mind? While the industry has a strong, important history, today's manufacturing is less "factory floor" and more state-of-the-art tech lab. We're talking robotics, A.I., 3D printing, and smart automation. It’s a clean, dynamic, and rapidly innovating sector that is building everything from the next generation of space rockets to high-performance sports gear.

Here’s the best part for you, an Edmonds College Triton: This technological leap has created a massive skills gap, and that gap is your direct invitation to a secure, stable, and surprisingly lucrative career. The industry is desperately seeking people—like you—who are ready to learn high-tech skills and manage sophisticated systems.

This is your moment. Stop waiting for the future to happen and join the generation that's building it.

1.  Welcome to the High-Tech Ecosystem: Clean, Smart, and Powered by A.I.

Modern manufacturing facilities are high-tech ecosystems where innovation is the daily standard. Edmonds College proves that modern manufacturing is a high-tech, high-paying career path by giving students hands-on access to the same advanced tools and smart systems driving today’s industry. At the on-campus Makerspace, learners work with CNC machines, laser cutters, 3D printers, welding rigs, and a full composites lab—mirroring the digital fabrication environments used in cutting-edge production. At the Advanced Manufacturing Skills Center (AMSC) at Paine Field, students train directly with robotic, mechatronic, and automated systems used in aerospace, marine, creative technology, and AI & robotics. With industry-connected instructors, state-of-the-art equipment, and programs in automation, drones, composites, and core industrial skills, Edmonds College prepares graduates for the rapidly growing, technology-driven manufacturing careers that offer strong wages, job security, and unlimited advancement.

• It’s a Tech Lab: Professionals work with cutting-edge tools like 3D printers, robotic arms, injection molders, and sophisticated CNC machines.
• A Focus on Innovation: The core of the industry is cutting-edge technology, including Robotics, AI, and Smart Manufacturing. Your role involves programming the automated systems, managing complex computer interfaces, and innovating the process.
• A Dynamic Field: For a new generation ready to build the future, this is an exciting, dynamic field with high demand for tech-savvy problem-solvers who can harness new technologies.

2. Launch a High-Paying Career in as Little as Eight Weeks with Zero Experience

One of the biggest obstacles to a new career is the myth that you need a four-year degree and years of debt. In manufacturing, Edmonds College offers a faster, more direct path.

Our Advanced Manufacturing Skills Center (AMSC) specializes in "short-term, high-impact" training designed to get you from the classroom to the job site fast.

• Fast-Track Certificates: You can launch a new career path with fast-track certificate programs.
• Earn an 8-week certificate in Assembly Mechanics or Robotics.
• Pursue one of the 12-week specialty certificates at the WATR Center, which includes programs in Electrical Assembly, Composites, and Tooling.
• Zero Experience Needed: These programs are intentionally structured to welcome anyone, including students with absolutely "zero experience" who are looking for a meaningful career change.

Fred Mackinnon, an Assembly Mechanic instructor, said about the certificates, "These are fast-track programs for people with zero experience... We'll train you up, we'll get you ready, and you'll have a foot in the door to get a nice, high-paying job."

3. The Massive Worker Shortage is Your Golden Career Opportunity

The U.S. manufacturing industry is facing an unprecedented labor shortage, and for skilled workers, that translates directly into high demand and high leverage.

• A Major Gap: According to Dr. Deb Volzer, the government and workforce partnerships director for Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), by 2030, an estimated 2.7 million manufacturing jobs could go unfilled across the nation. This high demand is a huge opportunity for you.
• Edmonds is Key: Edmonds College is one of only 25 colleges nationwide participating in the Manufacturing Imperative—Workforce Pipeline Challenge. We are the only participating institution west of the Rocky Mountains, making your education here a unique gateway to this opportunity!
• High Starting Pay: With this kind of demand, many entry-level, skilled positions are starting at upwards of $30 an hour, with significant room for professional growth.

4.  Build Rockets, Boats, and Your Own Inventions—Your Skills are Universal

While the Puget Sound region is a major hub for aerospace, the high-tech skills you learn in manufacturing are highly transferable to an exciting range of high-value industries.

• Beyond Planes: The principles of precision, design, and material science apply to aerospace (planes), maritime (boats), space exploration (rockets), high-end automobile fabrication, and even high-performance sports equipment.
• A Platform for Innovation: Manufacturing skills provide a powerful toolkit for solving real-world problems. For example, Geof Miller, who suffers from Parkinson’s Disease, used the Makerspace to design and create the "Pilda," a unique device to help him manage his complex medication schedule.
• This is the true face of modern manufacturing: the power to bring your ideas to life and solve human problems.

5. Earn a Bachelor’s Degree Without Putting Your Life on Hold

For working adults and motivated students, earning a bachelor's degree can seem impossible to balance with a job and a personal life. But our degree programs are designed for the real world.

• Flexibility is Key: Edmonds College offers Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degrees in fields like Advanced Manufacturing (AMMET) and Robotics and A.I. (ROBAI).
• Built for Your Schedule: These programs use a flexible hybrid format (online and essential in-person lab work) with many classes meeting on evenings and weekends to accommodate your work commitments.
• Stay in the Game: As former AMMET student Nathan Anderson shared about his experience, "The class program structure... works really well with my personal and work lives. And I can balance both school and work, and I don't necessarily have to prioritize one or the other."

You can advance your education and your career without sacrificing your income or personal commitments.

Are You Ready to Build the Future?

Modern manufacturing is a dynamic, accessible, and rewarding field at the forefront of technology and innovation. The industry needs talent, and we are ready to train you to fill that gap.

 We offer:

• Rapid training for high-paying careers.
• Flexible pathways all the way to a bachelor's degree.
• The chance to work on some of the most exciting projects in the world.

The future is being built today in high-tech labs and smart factories across the country. The only question left is, will you be one of the people building it?

Get started today: edmonds.edu/manufacturing