1-20-16 manufacturing-high technology

A new study shows an increase in the number and growth of businesses in the Fond du lac metro area employing high technology in their operations.  FCEDC president Steve Jenkins says the Milken Institute, a nonpartisan economic thinktank, ranks Fond du Lac 8^th out of 201 small metros for five year growth of high technology gross domestic product.  Jenkins says it’s a trend that’s been occurring since the great recession.  So what does this mean in terms of jobs and Fond du lac’s manufacturing sector?  “We need to understand that manufacturing is becoming more and more productive with fewer and fewer people,”  Jenkins told WFDL news.  “There’s a lot of reasons for that.  One is the workforce doesn’t have the skills necessary anymore so manufacturers are now in the process of taking the place of skills with automation and productivity improvements.”