About
Manufacturing Club @ UGA
The UGA Manufacturing Club is open to students of every major and background, united by a shared curiosity about how things get made. Whether you are an engineer or have never set foot in a shop, there is a place for you here.
We give every member real, hands-on exposure to the field through workshops, facility and plant tours, industry panels, and competitions. Our goal is to send you off with the experience and connections to build a career in the industry. No experience required.
Why join
See industry up close
Tour state-of-the-art labs and working manufacturing plants that most students never get inside.
Build real skills
Learn practical skills by doing, then put them to work in competitions.
Launch your career
Meet professionals at our events and tap into a network that leads to internships and full-time roles.
Common questions
Do I need experience to join?
No. All that matters is your interest and an openness to learn about the field of manufacturing.
Is the club only for engineering majors?
No. Manufacturing pulls in design, business, supply chain, computing, data, communications, and marketing as much as it does engineering. Any UGA student is welcome. Bring your interest and you will find something that fits.
When and where do you meet?
We host events every month of the semester. Keep up with our GroupMe, Instagram, and the events calendar on this website to stay up to date on involvement.
Why it matters
Why manufacturing matters
Manufacturing is how almost everything gets made, from cars and chips to food and medical devices, and it needs far more than engineers. It is also one of the best paid and fastest growing places to launch a career, with a wide talent gap opening right now.
1.9M
jobs could go unfilled this decade
Deloitte / Manufacturing Institute
$106,691
average manufacturing pay, vs $90,601 across all private nonfarm jobs
BEA / BLS via NAM, 2024
8th
largest economy on its own, $2.91T in value added
BEA / IMF, 2024
9.4%
of total US GDP
BEA via NAM, Q4 2025
52%
of all private-sector R&D
NAM
3.8M manufacturing jobs needed this decade
- Retirements 2.8M
- Industry growth 760K
- New legislation 230K
Source: Deloitte / Manufacturing Institute
$2.69
in total economic impact for every $1.00 spent in manufacturing
Source: NAM
Global scale and trade
$1.76T
in US manufactured goods exports
Source: Census via NAM, 2025
~17%
US share of global manufacturing output. China leads at 29%.
Source: UNSD, 2023
$15.9T
world trade in manufactured goods in 2024, up from $4.7T in 2000 and $9.8T in 2010.
Source: WTO
In Georgia
7,522
Georgia manufacturers employing 496,144 workers
MNI / IndustrySelect
$27B+
in new EV manufacturing investment
industry reporting
#1
best state for business, 12 years running
Area Development
Georgia manufacturing jobs by sector
Source: MNI