Finding qualified employees has become increasingly difficult for Oregon manufacturers. While voters approved measures to increase career and technical education for high school students, there is a continual struggle to get the legislature to fully fund those programs. In addition, Oregon’s investment in post-secondary career education has seen a gradual decline over the last few decades in relation to the costs associated with these programs. Key investments are critical to ensuring Oregon’s workforce is ready for the present, as well as the future.

A thriving manufacturing sector is vital to the long-term prosperity of Oregon's economy and its citizens. Manufacturing businesses in Oregon serve as an economic catalyst, generating high wage jobs throughout the state and bringing new dollars into the state's economy that support service industries and public services.