Manufacturing is on the upswing in the United States. That’s good news for job seekers — but only the ones who have the qualifications those manufacturing businesses are seeking.

Although a lot of attention is focused on providing specialized training in fields such as computer technology and robotics, a number of manufacturers in the Kansas City area say they are looking for something more basic: employees who have good language and math skills and a positive work attitude.

“We can train our own welders, but it has to start with people who have respect for what we do, who are accountable for their actions, who are able to complete a sentence that our customers can understand,” Steve Hasty, a Kansas City business owner, told a Kansas City reporter. “We’re talking reading, writing, arithmetic, plus an attitude of ‘What can I help you do?’ rather than “What can you do for me?'”

That’s an interesting point for the Lawrence school district and chamber of commerce to ponder as they pursue vocational and technical training efforts designed to benefit both students who need jobs and businesses that need workers with specialized training. It seems that having a specific job skill may not be as important as simply being willing and able to show up, communicate well and learn the job that needs to be done.

The need for manufacturing employees is fueled both by an upswing in business and the loss of many skilled workers to retirement. According to several Kansas City area employers, manufacturing has a image problem with young people who don’t realize the work “isn’t dirty or boring anymore.” The jobs they are trying to fill are good jobs, paying $14 to $25 an hour, but it takes at least six applicants per opening to find a good hire.

Math skills were a priority for one manufacturer who said “Some applicants can’t even read a ruler, let alone operate calipers or other measuring devices.”

So, as many people suspected, there is a serious problem with current high school graduates not being prepared for the current job market, but those deficiencies may not be as much about advanced training as they are about basic math and language literacy. That suggests an issue that needs to be addressed not only by the public schools but also by any vocational-technical program trying to prepare young people for the work force.