Celebrating success, achievement and potential of women in manufacturing

With women making up less than a quarter of the manufacturing labor force, the industry as a whole has been less successful than others at attracting women. Building upon the women in manufacturing research (Untapped Resource: How manufacturers can attract, retain, and advance talented women) previously published by The Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte, senior executives representing automotive, aerospace and defense, process, and diversified manufacturing convened at an executive roundtable to discuss how manufacturers can best attract, retain, and advance talented women in the manufacturing industry. They explored related challenges manufacturers face and made recommendations to address the challenges.

During the roundtable, executives discussed the significant concerns they all have about finding enough talent to drive their organizations in the future and how vitally important women can be to helping address that concern. They focused on the C-suite’s role in changing the corporate culture in the manufacturing industry, public perception of the industry, and what companies can do to create a strong employer brand.

The executives discussed and responded to key questions that focused on:

• How can manufacturers improve the recruiting process of women and how far back into the “pipeline” do they need to go?
• What initiatives can companies take to encourage the personal development and professional progression of women?
• How can manufacturers support women in the industry and retain female workers?