Without manufacturing things would look much different and without women in manufacturing our society would be drastically different.

Extraordinary Women in Manufacturing are Driving the Industry Forward SME Celebrates Women History Month and specifically the extraordinary women who chose a career in STEM. Manufacturing is all around us in our everyday life, whether you realize it or not. Everything from the utensils used to eat your morning breakfast to the tools and appliances used at your job went through a manufacturing process. Without manufacturing things would look much different and without women in manufacturing our society would be drastically different.

The contributions of female leaders and women in manufacturing, both past and present, have helped shape what manufacturing looks like today. However, based on the Career Advancement for Manufacturing Annual Report conducted by Women in Manufacturing (WiM), the representation of women in manufacturing career still has room for improvement. WiM reports that currently only, “1 in 3 manufacturing professionals and 1 in 4 manufacturing leaders are women.”

Additionally, a manufacturing report done by Deloitte looking at the foundation for America’s success indicates that of the top drivers of global competitiveness (for US manufacturing), the number one driver is talent. This report states, “as the US manufacturing sector grows and the demand for higher skilled jobs increases, however, companies’ are struggling to attract and retain top talent”. The need for higher technical skills, creativity, and problem solving will continue to be desired by corporations and manufacturing companies of all sizes.

One segment of the workforce that will help close this skills gap and talent shortage are women. Individuals like Barb Dorumsgaard and Cynthia Blue (co-owners of NTM Inc.) are paving the way and showing what women in manufacturing looks like. Their stories and many other successful women industry professionals are featured in the SME series Humans of Manufacturing. Women pursuing careers in STEM and specifically manufacturing are imperative to the economic growth we desire and expect. From C-Suite down to the factory floor, all levels of manufacturing have benefited at one point or another from female participation and leadership. In fact, SME Media’s Smart Manufacturing Magazine recently recognized Twenty women making their mark in robotics & automation. The 20 women profiled in this piece are helping create a better world, in their own way, through manufacturing. We recognize and celebrate the intelligent, strong, and innovative women who’ve contributed and continue to support advancements in manufacturing. SME celebrates the achievements of women who have chosen a career in manufacturing and continue to drive our industry forward. We will continue to support initiatives to recognize not only the creative thinkers who have advanced manufacturing over the years, but the women who continue to advance manufacturing today.