Women are underrepresented and underutilized in the manufacturing workforce.
The Manufacturing Institute will honor 100 women for their contributions to manufacturing, from mechatronics engineers to information technology directors and beyond.
by Carolyn Lee | for Industry Week
Despite making up about half of all workers overall, they account for less than one-third of manufacturing workers. Compounding this problem and creating an urgency around getting more women into manufacturing is the fact that plenty of jobs are out there ready to be filled, as manufacturers currently face a workforce crisis.
According to the National Association of Manufacturers’ quarterly outlook survey, for the past six consecutive quarters, manufacturers’ top concern has been the inability to attract and retain a quality workforce. In fact, there are about half a million jobs in the industry open right now, and we expect to need to fill about 4.6 million jobs over the next decade. A study by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute—the education and workforce partner of NAM and the organization I lead—finds that more than half of those job openings could go unfilled unless we attract, educate and retain more workers to fill them.
Bridging that divide will mean reshaping the way people think about jobs in the industry, educating them to the types of jobs that are available and helping them get the qualifications necessary to fill them. Put simply, the manufacturing industry is in a state of reinvention, and exciting, educating and empowering women will be critical to the future of the industry. Women represent one of the largest pools of untapped talent and closing manufacturing’s gender gap is key to closing the skills gap that has limited businesses’ ability to evolve and expand. In addition to filling open positions, though, research shows that gender diversity benefits manufacturing firms by creating a culture that improves their ability to innovate and grow. And more than just bottom lines, women are building meaningful careers—and quite literally building the future.
The Manufacturing Institute is dedicated to building the workforce of today and inspiring the workforce of tomorrow. Our STEP Ahead Women’s Initiative is a program aimed to honor and promote the role of women in science, technology, engineering and production. Our STEP Forward events around the country over the course of the year work to educate manufacturers on attracting and retaining female employees, and our annual STEP Ahead Awards provide an opportunity to honor the accomplishments of exceptional women in manufacturing and arm them with the tools to pay it forward to inspire and mentor the next generation.
