A weekend jobs fair sponsored by the Butler County Manufacturers Consortium at the Clearview Mall was featured in a front-page story in the Sunday edition of the Butler Eagle. As much as anything, the story helped dispel the myth that manufacturing is dead or that manufacturing jobs have gone overseas.

The manufacturers attending the event also dispelled the myth that there are no good jobs in the county. In fact, a number of local manufacturers, including Penn United Technologies, II-VI and CIDControls, are actively looking to hire new workers.

Perhaps the most surpising news in the story was that there are 300 manufacturers in Butler County — and, many of them are aggressively looking for qualified workers.

There is no doubt that the number of manufacturing jobs in Pennsylvania has declined over the past several decades. The decline of the steel industry marked a turning point, and the decline has accelerated in the past decade as the modern global economy has taken shape. But manufacturing still serves as the backbone of Pennsylvania's economy, and Butler County, with 13,000 jobs in manufacturing, reportedly is home to more manufacturing companies than any other county in the state.

Another important fact in the story is that the jobs in manufacturing are well-paying jobs, with an average salary of nearly $50,000 plus competitive benefit packages.

But despite the compensation, many of these companies are having trouble finding workers, while at the same time facing retirements of highly skilled workers over the next five or 10 years who will have to be replaced with younger workers in the next year or so.

Last weekend's jobs fair helped get the word out that there are plenty of good jobs in manufacturing here, and employers are serious about finding good workers. But, unlike decades ago when a strong back was enough to land a good factory job, today's manufacturing jobs require solid education fundamentals in math, science, reading and writing. Many of today's jobs also require advanced technical skills, which can be taught on the job or learned through vocational school or community college-based programs.

The requirements of today's manufacturing jobs might be bad news for those whose image of manufacturing is stuck in the 1970s or 1980s, and for those who don't appreciate the importance of education and training. But it's good news for those who do understand today's job market and do well in school and are prepared to get the necessary technical training.

In addition to a number of local manufacturing companies, the Butler Vocational-Technical School and Butler County Community College also were represented at the jobs fair. Their attendance was appropriate because these schools serve as an important link between young people and other job seekers and the manufacturing companies.

Both schools offer programs teaching the skills needed to land a job with a modern manufacturer. The vo-tech school and BC3 each provide a number of different paths for students looking for the training and skills necessary for a career in manufacturing. The two schools also offer coordinated programs, linking high school and college-level training.

But many people are only beginning to change their thinking about manufacturing work. For years, a four-year college was seen as the preferred career path for success. But that path does not always lead to a good job, and more people today are realizing that a vocation-focused education is a smart career move.

The unfortunate stigma once associated with vocational school has faded as people realize that these programs teach essential skills and prepare people for well-paying jobs with solid benefits. Likewise, the community college plays an important role in building the necessary academic skills in math and science, as well as reading and writing, that are required for many of today's high-tech jobs in manufacturing.

There are many different paths to employment in manufacturing, but some of the best must be the cooperative programs involving Butler Vo-Tech and BC3, which provide students with a foundation to move into a number of different areas of manufacturing. Other career paths involve a return for some selected courses or acceptance into a manufacturer's own apprentice or training program.

The message is clear:Manufacturing is a critical part of the Butler County economy and it's growing.

Last weekend's jobs fair and the efforts of the Butler County Manufacturers Consortium are helping to spread the word — good jobs are available, and education and training are essential to landing those jobs.