New national group promotes women in manufacturing

A Cleveland-based trade association, Women in Manufacturing, now counts 510 members from across the country, with a strong online presence and a growing network of state chapters designed to support the advancement of women working in the field and to increase their numbers at all levels, from the shop floor to the corporate suite and everywhere in between. 

"Our mission is to support, promote and inspire women in manufacturing, and also women in firms that support manufacturing," said Anne Ross, managing partner of Milwaukee law firm Foley & Lardner and member of the WiM board. "It's obviously a workforce development issue for the industry, and it's a way to open up more good-paying jobs for women." 

"It just fills a void," Janet Ady, president and CEO of Madison-based Ady Advantage, which provides consulting services to manufacturing companies looking to expand or relocate, said of the group. "I don't think there's anything else out there like this." 

It also may be an easier time to involve more women in manufacturing, with the recent increase in robotics, 3D printing and other types of advanced manufacturing that rely less on physical strength and more on science and engineering than traditional manufacturing, Ross noted. 

Women now make up about 27 percent of the manufacturing workforce, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, while comprising 47 percent of the total labor force. WiM wants to see women's share of manufacturing jobs — which are traditionally higher paying — more in line with its labor-force footprint. 

"Manufacturing has a reputation problem," Ross said. "Young girls and young women choosing careers just don't think about manufacturing." 

Beyond finding ways to get more women interested in manufacturing, building a stronger industry presence also means helping those already in the field forge closer ties, Ross said. It can be an isolating experience now. 

"One part of this effort we found is very powerful is the support group aspect," Ross said. "A lot of women in smaller companies may be the only woman working on the shop floor, or the only woman engineer." 

"We want to get more people interested in manufacturing, and the more people understand that manufacturing isn't dirty, dumb and dangerous, the better," Ady said. "It's a good career path, and there are good, family-sustaining jobs in manufacturing. The more non-traditional workers we can make aware of that, the better for the industry and the nation that will be."