Many U.S. manufacturers are experiencing talent shortages in part because of an aging baby boomer generation that has begun its exodus from the U.S. workforce. The oldest baby boomers turned 65 on Jan. 1, 2011, and every day thereafter for about the next 19 years, some 10,000 more will reach the traditional retirement age, according to the Pew Research Center.

A new Urban Manufacturing Alliance (UMA) has been launched to accelerate the growth of urban manufacturing across the U.S. and to capitalize on the sector's ability to create stable, high-quality jobs.