SME Honors the Contributions of Women in Manufacturing

Exposure is key. Introducing the next generation to all the opportunities within manufacturing is important to showcase the diverse career paths available.

SME celebrates the achievements of women in manufacturing who have chosen a career in STEM-related fields and drive the industry forward. Manufacturing organizations are seeing the value of an integrated and inclusive workplace and the number of companies embracing diversity within their workforce is continuously growing. The U.S. Department of Commerce states, “opinions about manufacturing are changing among women, with more and more women seeing a place for themselves in this exciting and challenging industry…women continue to explore new opportunities and make inroads into industries that were once almost exclusively male.” It’s the responsibility of organizations like SME to help foster this growth, encouraging continuous improvement in the industry and supporting the accomplishments of women in manufacturing.

As these themes grow within manufacturing SME strives to represent all aspects of the manufacturing workforce, highlighting achievements while also addressing challenges, and more importantly fostering opportunities for members to network with their peers.

On Monday, March 20^th SME Membership hosted the Manufacturing Monday Coffee Chat: Celebrating Women of Manufacturing. The morning chat consisted of like-minded peers joining for an informal virtual conversation to discuss and celebrate women leaders within manufacturing and how they achieved success by overcoming challenges in a male-dominated industry.

This virtual meet-up was moderated by SME Member Council Immediate Past Chair, Jennifer Fielding and attendees included SME members from across the United States. It was exciting to see SME members share their real-world experiences and examine the strategies which helped their manufacturing careers. Here are a few highlights and quotes from the Monday morning conversation:

Misconceptions About Women in Manufacturing

Sheila Sherman, CTE Supervisor, Pontiac High School, Pontiac, MI – Sheila explained that coming into manufacturing as a supervisor, the misconception was that most plants were dirty. But as industries transition into the electric space, many of the plants she visited in more recent years are not dirty, they are the complete opposite. Sherman explained that you can still be cute and glamorous and work in manufacturing and that companies are transforming and providing more opportunities and offerings to employees

Mel Cossette, Principal Investigator and Executive Director National Resource Center for Materials Technology Education, Edmonds Community College, Lynwood, WA – Many students pursuing a career in STEM don’t know how the past was. They have no concept of how manufacturing developed over time. Cossette stopped discussing the past and started talking about all the opportunities that are available. She often explains to students how manufacturing jobs can set you on a great career path and there are so many options. Sometimes looking at manufacturing from a different lens helps students picture themselves in the industry. It’s important for them to see manufacturing as a possibility.

Programs And Initiatives Bringing Women into Manufacturing

Sheila Sherman - Exposure is key. Career path expos and job fairs are wonderful places for students to connect with companies and recruits to find out about careers in manufacturing. Often these outlets don’t focus specifically on gender, but as more students get exposed to the plethora of manufacturing opportunities and career paths available, naturally interested and qualified women have risen to the top.

Jane Arnold, Venture Partner, Momenta, Houston, TX – In her experience, companies need to be intentional about hiring. Arnold was involved with an organization that made diversity in their hiring a priority and saw success as a result. In a past role, Arnold was a department leader with a workforce consisting of 25% women representing 25 different countries. If more companies are intentional about their hiring, encourage diversity, and embrace this mentality, they will find growth in their business.

Advice For Women Thinking About Entering a Career in Manufacturing

Christie Hasbrouck, Graduate Research Assistant/Ph.D. Candidate, Penn State University, State College, PA – Clarifies that manufacturing is not just for people working on the shop floor. You don’t have to stop your education to pursue a career. The industry needs diverse people, from education levels of High School all the way to Ph.D. and everything in between to make manufacturing successful.

Mel Cossette – Encourages people to pursue internship opportunities. Getting as much hands-on experience as you can is important and finding a mentor whom you can shadow, ask questions, and learn from is important to develop the skills needed for a successful manufacturing career.

Jane Arnold – Urges sharing career experiences with women interested in manufacturing and explaining how much fun she had. You can have an exciting, fun, and impactful career in manufacturing.

The next Manufacturing Monday Coffee Chat will take place on April 10 from 9-9:30 AM ET. Join SME members to discuss effective networking strategies that lead to business results. Connect with others in the industry, share your personal stories, and learn what’s worked for other manufacturing professionals. Register Today.