DETROIT – A new report says advanced manufacturing employment in Michigan flourished for the eighth consecutive year in 2017 with nearly 700,000 Michigan workers employed – the highest employment level since 2006.

Additionally, employer demand for lightweighting-related skills in Michigan has increased by 37 percent since Q1 2013, with over 27,000 online job postings, according to LIFT – Lightweighting Innovations for Tomorrow.

The quarterly and annual reports, highlighting employment trends, top jobs, and required skills in advanced manufacturing through 2017, are completed with research and analysis from the Workforce Intelligence Network of Southeast Michigan (WIN) and Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee, a region that’s home to more than 50 percent of the metalworking jobs in the country.

“As employment in the state and across the region surpasses pre-recession levels and continues to reach new heights, we remain committed to working with manufacturers here and across our network to provide opportunities for students and incumbent workers to learn the skills necessary to drive our country’s advanced manufacturing success and long-term sustainability,” said Emily DeRocco, education and workforce director, LIFT.

The top in-demand lightweighting-related occupations in Michigan in 2017 included: Maintenance and Repair Workers (15,701 postings); Laborers and Freight, Stock and Material Movers (11,519 postings); Mechanical Engineers (8,107 postings); Electrical Engineers (7,311 postings); and Production Workers (6,404 postings).

LIFT, operated by the American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute (ALMMII) and one of the founding Manufacturing USA institutes, is a public-private partnership dedicated to developing and deploying advanced lightweight metal manufacturing technologies, and implementing education and training programs to better prepare the workforce today and in the future.

The full Michigan report can be viewed at: http://lift.technology/education-workforce-development/.