Manufacturing jobs are in demand; Man changes career to join the industry

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – Employers say manufacturing jobs are on the rise in Kentucky and they don’t expect the growth to slow down.

The Education and Workforce Development Cabinet says there are almost 12,000 open manufacturing jobs in the state.

BCTC student, Kevin Tolliver says he didn’t know what he wanted to do after high school.

He went to college and got a bachelor’s degree in religion and minor in education.

He says he wasn’t passionate about the job and wanted to do something hands on that made good money. He found manufacturing.

“I’m really intrigued with the robotics systems,” said Kevin Tolliver, BCTC Student.

Bernard Perkins understands what Tolliver wants. Perkins started working in the industry 26 years ago after he graduated high school.

Perkins says within three months he was promoted to group leader on the assembly line at Schneider Electric.

“We made really good money and we still do compared to a lot of other professions,” said Bernard Perkins.

The Education and Workforce Development Cabinet says between 2013 and 2018, the weekly wage for manufacturing jobs went up almost $3. In the same time frame, the state added more than 22,000 manufacturing jobs.