MILLEDGEVILLE – Encouraging your children to go into manufacturing might be a good idea, according to a scholar with Northern Illinois University who presented a study Feb. 28 to Blackhawk Hills Regional Council.

Norman Walzer, senior research scholar with NIU’s Center for Governmental Studies, presented a regional strategic action plan at Blackhawk Hills’ Regional Comprehensive Development Strategy meeting at Milledgeville State Bank. The study compared the competitiveness of wages and benefits in Lee, Whiteside, Ogle, Carroll, and Stephenson counties, and also measured the unemployment and underemployment in the area.

Although few people would encourage their children to go into manufacturing, many high-tech manufacturing jobs pay $75,000-plus in some cases as a starting salary, Walzer said.