Senator Coons Pushes For More Manufacturing Jobs
By Ileana Diaz
PHILADELPHIA (CBS)--Sparks fly as students teach Senator Chris coons how to weld.
It's a skill used in the manufacturing industry and the type of job Senator Coons will soon be promoting in a bill to create more jobs.
Senator Coons says, "We have a skills gap. There are many, many jobs available but not enough young students that are ready to go into work."
The auto industry took a toll on manufacturing jobs for years and just recently workers Evraz Steel in Claymont were let go, but despite the instability, Senator Coons tells us for the first time this century there's been significant growth in manufacturing and he wants to push that.
"If we want to grow the manufacturing we have to educate the youth, not for just future jobs but for what's available now."
Just this year a 200 thousand square foot facility popped up in Newark. Bloom Energy Manufacturers tests and delivers servers and is already boosting the local economy by hiring hundreds of employees.
Barry Sharpe, manager of Bloom Energy says, "We are attempting to create new manufacturing environment that has a high tech center."
While the steel plant in Claymont credits their slow down to cheaper competition overseas, the Senator says the wage gap is closing and thinks the US needs to do more.
Senator Coons has another dozen senators pushing for growth in manufacturing and creating more jobs in the sector.
He will launch his campaign Tuesday.
