December 11, 2025 Inspiring Tomorrow’s Manufacturing Leaders, Today

Saint-Gobain’s Sustaining Futures, Raising Communities workforce development program shows students career paths in manufacturing.

By Mark Rayfield, President and CEO of Saint-Gobain North America and CertainTeed

For over a century and a half, manufacturing has been at the center of the US economy, providing a livelihood for millions of American families and inspiring major innovations that shape the world we live in. The industry remains vital in the 21st century, currently employing over 13 million Americans in manufacturing careers. However, we now face an existential challenge that threatens the growth and innovation manufacturing has always provided – a shortage in the manufacturing workforce. As an integral component of the US and global economy, we must work together to develop the future of the manufacturing workforce. It is in all our interest to ensure the industry has the people and tools it needs to continue to thrive, and to open career paths in manufacturing for all.

A study by Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute highlights that over the next decade the manufacturing sector will require over 3.8 million jobs. Unfortunately, with our current challenges, nearly 1.9 million of those jobs in manufacturing careers could go unfilled. This would leave us without the necessary teams to make key materials for our homes, automobiles, airplanes and the products we use every day, putting our country’s growth at risk of coming to a halt. How do we overcome these manufacturing workforce development challenges? As leaders in the industry, we have a responsibility to communicate how valuable and rewarding a career path in manufacturing can be to generations of workers who have been encouraged to avoid this sector. We must inspire a renewed interest and understanding of the field.

This is an area where we must make progress. If we can show our young people the advantages and benefits of manufacturing careers at an early age, it is more likely they will pursue a career path in manufacturing fields. We need more engagement with those in K through 12 to educate students on what modern manufacturing looks like and the competitive wages and benefits a manufacturing career in the industry could bring. Those who have been on a career path in manufacturing can tell you that manufacturing jobs today are light years from what they used to be. With technological advancements such as AI and robotics, World Class Manufacturing techniques, and updated environmental, health and safety guidelines, the popular image in media of manufacturing careers as dirty and dangerous could not be further from the truth.

Getting the message out to those who we want and need to be the future leaders of the field is key. From executives to operators on the line, everyone must step outside the plant and engage with students directly. According to a study from the Manufacturing Institute, of students enrolled in CTE courses, most have had no contact with potential future employers, and only 12 percent have had an opportunity to visit a manufacturing site. This is a statistic that should get our attention. If students are not exposed to the field through manufacturing workforce development programs, we cannot expect them to consider manufacturing as a career. It is past time to proactively work to build the pipeline for the next generation and ensure there are clear pathways available from the classroom to the manufacturing floor.

This is what has spurred Saint-Gobain North America to get into the classroom and launch Sustaining Futures, Raising Communities, a manufacturing workforce development program aimed at introducing high school students directly to the field and showcasing the robust manufacturing career paths available in this modern industry. Partnering with high schools across the United States, our aim is to help students explore all a career path in manufacturing has to offer through an interactive classroom curriculum focused on real experiences. The program also offers direct access to the plant setting with visits to Saint-Gobain manufacturing facilities. Our goal is to expand this program across the United States and Canada to students of all ages.

Piloted this summer in Oxford, North Carolina and Shakopee, Minnesota, we are already seeing what showcasing manufacturing careers can do to spur interest in our field. At both pilot sites, students displayed an increased interest in a career path in manufacturing following the classroom visit and plant tour. And for many, old stereotypes and myths about the industry were debunked. As we expand this manufacturing workforce development pro gram, we hope and expect this progress to continue.

According to the National Association of Manufacturers, manufacturing in the United States alone would constitute the eighth-largest economy in the world, with over $2.60 trillion in value. While the world today may be increasingly digital, manufacturing still makes it run. The components that make up the chips in our smartphones and the vehicles that transport our food to the grocery store still need to be produced. Building the future of this vital industry is a must-win. Those who have spent their lives in manufacturing careers know the industry can provide professional career opportunities in hometowns, big cities and everywhere across the globe. By sharing how Saint-Gobain North America is leading, it is my hope that we can inspire other manufacturing organizations to evaluate their progress and take proactive steps in building the workforce and career paths in manufacturing for the future.

Join us and let’s solve the talent equation for the industry. Let’s continue the success story of American manufacturing.

About the Author:
Mark Rayfield is President and CEO of Saint-Gobain North America and CertainTeed. Leaders in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain manufactures building and high-performance solutions for construction and industrial markets. Saint- Gobain operates over 140 manufacturing facilities with over 18,000 employees across the United States and Canada.

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