Data Brief: Materials & Technology Lightweighting in Michigan
Growing Demand
During September and October 2014, there were 14,659 online postings in Michigan for lightweighting related jobs, up from 12,859 in July and August. 31% of these postings advertize an annual wage over $50,000. Demand in Michigan is highest for logistics workers, maintenance and repair workers, and electrical engineers.
Lightweighting for the Future
Over 665,000 jobs in Michigan are related to lightweighting. Whether workers are building new vehicles, engineering new alloys, or transporting newly created lightweight goods, lightweighting is a critical topic for today's advance manufacturing and automotive workforce. IT is an area of growing importance as well. Since 2009 employment trough, employers in Michigan have added 124,041 lightweightingrelated jobs with potentially many more to come.
4.7 1
What counts as lightweighting? The 140 individual ocupations related to lightweighting* can be organized into 3 main occupational groups and 10 sub-groups. (1) Skilled trades jobs include, machinists, assembly and operations workers, and skilled materials workers. (2) Administration jobs include procurement and purchasing workers, human safety workers, and logistics workers. (3)Engineering & design jobs include electrical and mechanical engineers, chemical engineers & metallurgy workers, designers and drafters, and process engineers and testers.
Green & Connected Mobility MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY Lightweight / alternative materials; non-destructive testing; conventional testing; design; joining processes for multi-materials, stamping high strength steel or aluminum; rapid prototyping; additive manufacturing
HYBRID ELECTRIC SYSTEMS Vehicle Systems, energy storage, power electronics and electric motors
FUELS TECHNOLOGY Advance petroleum fuels, technology integration
ADVANCED COMBUSTION ENGINE Combustion and emission controls, solid state energy conversion
CONNECTED VEHICLES Sensors and micro-processors, smart transportation systems
Materials Technology Focus: Why Lightweighting?
With over 665,000 individuals employed in Michigan, lightweighting is a key component to the state's comeback and employer success. The average wage for a worker in a lighweighting-related career is $19.41 per hour. This translates to $40,373 annually. Over 30% of posted lightweighting jobs advertise a wage over $50,000 annually. Not only do these workers make a great living, but many learn their skills on-the-job: 75% of lightweighting jobs provide on-the-job training. Entry-level skilled-trade related occupations require a high school diploma or the equivalent and entry-level engineering and industrial design workers require a bachelor's degree.
$19/hr Average hourly wage
19.7% Share of workers over 55
21% 1
Share of workers who are women
Green Mobility and Why it’s Important
Green mobility refers to the various products and processes required to make vehicle, transportation, and other related systems more efficient and eco-friendly. Green mobility will require the creation, adoption, and integration of new technologies. For example, lightweighting for greater fuel economy and safety, and alternative energy storage. Many companies are successfully navigating these impending changes. Supporting them and encouraging others to follow suit will mean good news for the region’s economy. At the same time, tens of thousands of jobs in traditional metal stamping, casting, plastic parts, and other manufacturing could be displaced—and those jobs lost—if manufacturing firms fail to adapt to the using advanced materials, processes, and technologies and if workers do not know how to apply them.
Solving the workforce issue before it begins
Nearly 20% of lightweighting workers are nearing retirement. Coupled with extremely high employer demand, this could mean a scramble for employers to find workers in coming years. In the past two years employers in Michigan have posted almost 175,000 lightweightingrelated jobs. However, only 25,026 graduates in 2013 completed certificates and degrees related to lightweighting. Policymakers, employers, and the education system must work together to ensure that students and young workers know about the tremendous opportunity found in lightweighting careers.
Interested in learning more about MAGMA? Check out migreenmobility.com/