Research shows that over a million manufacturing jobs sit unfilled right now. That number is expected to increase to over 3 million by the end of this decade. A skills shortage is to blame, say most. “We need CNC operators, robot operators, and mechatronics skills” say all too many manufacturing companies. This is not just an American challenge, but one worldwide. Advances in technology that reduce the impact of high labor costs are the double-edged sword created largely by offshoring in prior decades.