Manufacturers Have a Hard Time Finding Workers, but Workers Can't Fine Work. Where's the Disconnect?

Bloomberg today reports about a widening gap between the skilled workers that manufacturers like Caterpillar need and the availability of such workers in the labor pool.  Increasingly, high school grads are opting for college degrees and against the advanced manufacturing jobs (and in some cases, the NOT so advanced manufacturing jobs) that help propel many U.S. manufacturers. 

The scarcity of labor resources is leading to a boon in wages for welders, fabricators and others who have chosen the manufacturing route. The U.S. labor department reports more than 3 million open private sector jobs since November...with more to come.

Check out the report here. What does this shift away from skilled labor mean for U.S. manufacturing industry? Could a trade certification be the MBA of the 21st Century? Let us know.