Diversity and Inclusion: Attracting the Most Underrepresented Demographic in Manufacturing

By Elizabeth Moore, NATM Tracks Editor This article is the third article in the Diversity and Inclusion series. Each article focuses on one aspect of diversity and inclusion and gives definitions, examples, and advice on how to implement similar programs. Most of the information presented in these articles was gathered from a diversity summit hosted by The Manufacturing Institute, the workforce development and education partner of the National Association of Manufacturing (NAM). This two-day summit covered what diversity and inclusion mean, challenges in these fields specific to manufacturing, and how to implement diversity and inclusion initiatives at all levels in any size of company. This year NAM announced a pledge for action to help close the equity gap in the industry. By 2025, the goal is for manufacturers to have made 50,000 tangible actions to repair the unequal opportunities in the industry and create 300,000 pathways to job opportunities specifically for people of color and Black people. The final goal is to change the workforce by 2030. Tracks coverage of the summit has been broken into several articles. The previous articles have covered what exactly diversity and inclusion are referring to, but the next few articles will take a deeper dive into different aspects of diversity. For ease of access, all of the articles in this series will be uploaded to the NATM Resource Library. For instructions on accessing the library, turn to page 74.

Women in Manufacturing Obstacles to Retaining Women

There is a lack of understanding and education on the employer side surrounding women’s needs as well as the importance of their contributions to the industry. On the other hand, women are uneducated on what a career in manufacturing looks like; they often do not understand the richness that a career in manufacturing can provide in terms of pay, benefits, and personal fulfillment. Steve Buchanan, VP of Human Resources at Americans Production Area Fresenius Medical Care North America, stated that his company had a difficult time setting diversity and inclusion goals, particularly when it came to the employment rates of women because they had not taken the time to properly educate the leadership within their company about where their company stood in regards to gender diversity (i.e., looking at the makeup of women, nonbinary, trans, etc. people at different levels of the company, analyzing the engagement of these demographics, etc.) and the importance of hiring women.

The Manufacturing Institute states, “Women are the greatest challenge and greatest opportunity for the manufacturing industry.” Almost since the end of the Industrial Revolution, it has been a struggle to employ women in manufacturing. During World War I, women made up 20 percent of the manufacturing workforce, and today—over a century later—they make up 28.6 percent of the manufacturing workforce. The last century of progress for women’s rights only resulted in an 8.6 percent jump despite the fact women now make up the majority of the workforce at 51 percent. Increasing the employment rate of women in the industry would have remarkable effects. If the representation of women were to increase by as little as 10 percent, the skills gap in manufacturing would close by 50 percent. Women play a vital role in not only closing the skills gap but also ending the workforce crisis that is rampant across the industry.

Patricia Rossman, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer of BASF Corp., explained that diversity can be lost when it comes to screening candidates. The problem can often be found in rigid job descriptions or rigid interviewer requirements. She said you should ask yourself if your culture receptive to diverse talent.

In addition, the reality of a career in manufacturing is skewed due to the public’s perception. This is especially problematic as women are already underemployed in the industry, and therefore, have very little opportunity to speak with peers who can dispel