Advancing Women in Manufacturing: Importance of Recruiting Women
There is no denying it — there is a shortage of talented workers in the manufacturing industry. Where can manufacturing companies turn to fill their open positions? If you’re responsible for filling those positions, that question probably sounds all too familiar. With that in mind, here’s a piece of manufacturing advice you can act on as early as today — you can turn to the female labor pool for candidates to step into the roles you need to fill.
Women in manufacturing is too often a novel thought for people already working in the male-dominated vertical. Females account for just 29% of the manufacturing industry’s workers, and they only fill 7% of the vertical’s mid-level positions. With women representing nearly 50% of the nation’s workforce, it’s clear females are underrepresented in manufacturing.
Although women hold less than 30% of the jobs in the manufacturing industry, over 70% of females in the field say they’d choose manufacturing again if they were to restart their careers right now. Approximately 42% of women in manufacturing say they would recommend that their daughters or other female family members pursue work in manufacturing.
Is Education One of the Leading Manufacturing Trends?
As is the case in other industries, education is prized in the manufacturing industry. According to Gallup, it’s possible women feel as if they need to be 100% qualified to step into a given position. That belief provides employers in the manufacturing industry with a significant opportunity — encourage women to seek training to gain employment in the field.
While employers can offer on-the-job training, colleges such as Owensboro Community and Technical College are providing formal education to women who want to launch a career or further their current career in manufacturing. Thanks to a multimillion-dollar grant from the Kentucky Work Ready Skills Initiative, the school developed an innovation lab that gives students a real-life look at what it’s like to work in advanced manufacturing positions and Industry 4.0 jobs.
The Advancing Female Incumbent Workers in the Manufacturing Industry program at OCTC is a three-year initiative that aims to motivate women to enter the manufacturing industry while helping females already in the vertical advance their careers. The grant-funded program offers courses to full-time, female workers when it’s convenient for them given their work schedules. Also, the project shines a light on barriers in the classroom and workplace that deter females from considering pursuing work in the manufacturing industry.
Will OCTC’s innovative manufacturing programs help attract more women to the manufacturing industry? With 74.6 million women in the American workforce and so few of them working in manufacturing, one can only hope programs such as the ones at OCTC will inspire more talented females to pursue a career in the vertical.
Share Your Thoughts Below
Global Electronic Services firmly believes that women in manufacturing — and how to attract more females to the industry — are important topics that need and deserve to be talked about. Please join the conversation and share your thoughts about women and the manufacturing industry now!
