Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Gale visited Comcast Newsmakers to talk about the factors that have made Montgomery County the number one county for manufacturing jobs in Pennsylvania.

“Manufacturing is a key component to the economy in Montgomery County,” said Gale.

There are more than 46,000 jobs in manufacturing and over 1,200 manufacturing job location sites across the county. Additionally, the average annual pay in manufacturing is $91,000.

The biggest issue manufacturing plants are facing is the lack of a skilled workforce.

“The number one takeaway every time I visit a manufacturing plant is a need for a skilled labor force,” said Gale.

To solve this issue, manufacturing companies are focusing on younger generations.

“As county commissioner, I’m doing what I can to let the younger generations know, even before the age of high school, that there is a vast amount of opportunity in manufacturing,” he said.

One of the ways for young people to learn about their future options in manufacturing is the Manufest and More Conference, hosted annually by the county.

This year it will be on March 10 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center and welcome over 50 vendors and over 750 students.

Watch the entire video here.