< Previous10 MARCH 2022Written by Allison Dempsey It’s a potentially lucrative career path with ample room to learn and advance, but the manufacturing industry has consistently failed to attract women to its burgeoning ranks: Although they make up 48 percent of the working pop- ulation in Canada, women only comprise 28 percent of the manufacturing workforce, a statistic that has remained relatively constant for more than 30 years. In an industry that continues to grow and thrive, women have missed out on its numerous benefits such as stable employment with valuable and technologically advanced positions that pay well. The stats are similar in the United States, as well, where women make up around 30 percent of the 15.8 million individuals in manufacturing industries, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, but account for nearly 47 percent of the entire workforce, and only one out of every four manufacturing executives is a woman. 11 MANUFACTURING IN FOCUS The demand for competent and talented professionals in the industrial business continues to be of paramount importance. According to recent Gallup research, more than two million skilled employees are needed in manufacturing industries such as aerospace and military, automotive, processing, and industri- al products, while six out of ten roles are unfilled due to a skills deficit, according to the Women in Manufacturing 2017 survey by Deloitte, the Manufacturing Institute, and APICS. What is the best way to rectify the situation? Inspiring and motivating young women to enter this work space requires having more female role models, providing access to contemporary production facilities to help influence industry perceptions, encouraging initiatives for young women to seek STEM and/or skilled trades educations, creating more inclusive workplaces, and fostering innovative solutions to help achieve a healthier work-life balance. The ongoing underrepresentation of women in manufactur- ing, coupled with the potential intimidation factor found in a traditionally male-dominated industry, poses a challenging barrier for women looking for a career in the field, along with those hoping to advance up the corporate ladder. Starting at the top and leading by example seems to be the most pro- active way to generate change, while prioritizing diversity and inclusion (D&I) and embedding that practice in an organiza- tion's mission can also help inspire long-term transformation. Employers, too, face unique problems in attracting and hiring women to manufacturing jobs. But while traditional gender bias persists, diverse firms have proven tactics for bringing women to the workforce, particularly for those vital leadership positions. Having female executives as internal role models and visible on company websites during the recruitment process is an excellent place to start. Equal compensation for equal labour, coupled with flexible work schedules and mental wellness programs show employees their needs are important, while building female support networks foster stronger relationships and a sense of belonging. According to Gartner research pub- lished in August 2020, these benefits and efforts can increase feelings of inclusion by up to 38 percent. “Gender diversity increases manufacturing businesses’ innovation, return on equity, and profitability.” MARCH 2022 12However, women who work for firms that place an emphasis on being present and available at all times can be at a dis- advantage when it comes to balancing this potentially damaging culture with the responsibilities of home and childcare. And those returning to full-time work following maternity leave may find a company’s onboarding and inte- gration procedure severely lacking. Industries must be vigilant in helping to establish appropriate boundaries, workload del- egation, and time management support, tasks often left to female employees to negotiate. Prioritizing an employee's health and well-being can be aided by raising awareness at the executive level. A small move like offering a health coach as part of employee personal development can go a long way in improving well-being while also enhancing loyalty. Gender diversity increases manufacturing businesses’ innova- tion, return on equity, and profitability, according to a Deloitte study of 600 women and 20 executives in manufacturing. Additionally, manufacturing employees report greater business performance in terms of ability to innovate when they see their employers making an attempt to include them. Unfortunately, a number of studies have also revealed dis- tressing tales of what it's like to be a female worker in manu- facturing, including multiple instances of sexual harassment and hostile and dangerous working conditions. According to a recent Forbes story, these incidents are underreported in the sector by both victims and coworkers who see them, factors that help shape the negative public perception of manufacturing. A Deloitte study found that women left manufacturing for a number of reasons including unappeal- ing pay/income, not enough opportunities for advancement, poor working conditions, inadequate work-life balance and a lack of demanding assignments. 13According to a Gallup poll, the ability to do what they do best and work-life balance are significant workplace con- siderations for women, factors that manufacturing compa- nies should learn before recruiting. Job flexibility, inclusion, workplace respect, and being appreciated for strengths are also all top influencers for women job seekers, according to Gallup data. Additionally, only 15 percent of the women polled felt the sector was accommodating of family and personal commitments, with more than 40 percent of women either solely responsible for or equally bearing the burden of household tasks. Taking these factors into consideration would greatly aid companies in their quest to successfully diversify their workforce. It’s also critical for manufacturers to communicate to female students early on that they embrace gender-inclusive ideals in their organizations. Only 29 percent of women believe the school system actively or somewhat supports female students to pursue manufacturing occupations, according to the Deloitte survey. A lack of knowledge about manufacturing’s potential and early recruiting may also be damaging the business. “Hiring more women in manufacturing positions demonstrates a gender-inclusive culture.” 14 MARCH 2022In short, hiring more women in manufacturing positions dem- onstrates a gender-inclusive culture, which in turn attracts more women. Deloitte recommends that women executives in manufacturing businesses be more visible in order to dem- onstrate gender inclusivity to potential employees, while also emphasizing rewards, flexibility, and culture in order to recruit certified and qualified female candidates. Current recruitment practices are another explanation for the gender imbalance in manufacturing. According to a LinkedIn survey, there is a gender prejudice among recruiters who are 13 percent less likely to check a female profile and three percent less likely to send women emails after viewing their profiles when looking at prospects on LinkedIn. Removing essential identifiers like names and images from candidate applications before analyzing them is one method to eliminate gender bias. While identifying gender imbalance is an important first step, creating targets to close the gap is critical for any company aiming to draw more women as future employees. Women in leadership positions can provide a wealth of benefits according to the Deloitte survey, including a variety of viewpoints in deci- sion-making, new and imaginative methods and solutions, a well-balanced organizational structure, and improved financial performance. And of course encouraging professional development and providing opportunities for growth in order to increase the number of women in leadership positions is vital for manufac- turing companies and the industry at large. Creating mentor- ship programs is also an ideal way to help aid in the retention of female employees. Hiring competent women in manufacturing boasts numerous advantages: Along with boosting innovation, employee satis- faction, and sales, gender diversity businesses are more appeal- ing to aspiring employees and job searchers. Attracting and keeping women in manufacturing is crucial to the future of manufacturing, providing a varied workforce that ensures there are different perspectives tackling problems in different ways. Designed by Ashley Dowling 15 MANUFACTURING IN FOCUS “Work should be, for all of us, a word as honourable and appealing as patriotism.” – Dwight Eisenhower MARCH 2022 16Written by Anne Lindert-Wentzell Prior to the First World War, male factory workers dominated as factories were not considered a place for women to be. But this soon all changed when men picked up their arms to join the military during the Great War. The number of women in factories increased to meet the wartime production demands while men carried out their duties in battle. Women were needed, and they willingly chose to work. The United States Government’s Department of Labor saw the need to create the Women in Industry Service (WIS) in 1918. The WIS coordinated with various organizations and corporations, and although the WIS was estab- lished to aid in a temporary situation, it eventually became a major fixture of the Department of Labor by 1920. It then became known as the United States Women’s Bureau. “It was no coincidence that the Bureau was created the same year as the passing of the nineteenth amendment which gave women the right to vote. The First World War gave women new freedoms and opportunities and led to growth in the influ- ence of women’s rights organizations,” says the Women in the Factories feature from the Elihu Burritt Library at the Central Connecticut State University. During World War II, a global conflict of an unprecedented scale, women again took their places on production lines as many factories across North America were converted from producing normal household goods to military equipment to supply the needs of war. Women across the country worked on assembly lines, out of a sense of patriotism or due to financial need with male bread- winners off at war. They ran drill presses, welded, used screw machines, produced munitions, and built ships and airplanes, among other activities. An estimated six million women began working in factories across the United States in positions that were previously unavailable. In fact, by 1944, women held one- third of manufacturing positions in the country. While some factories were producing military goods, most carried on with the same production of consumer goods as before the war. When First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt took a tour of the new work- force known as ‘production soldiers,’ she was impressed. But with so many women working on production lines, childcare centres became essential to enable them to work. She convinced her husband, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, to approve the United States Government’s first childcare facilities. Through the Community Facilities Act of 1942, seven centers were built to accommodate over 100,000 children. Industries across the nation were also encouraged to build childcare centres for workers. Since the war, Rosie the Riveter has become a cultural icon with her bandana-tied hair, flexed arm, and her ‘We Can Do It’ slogan. At the time, however, the image was just one of many propa- ganda pieces intended to recruit women into the workforce. “If you’ve used an electric mixer in your kitchen, you can learn to run a drill press,” said an American War Manpower Campaign. Canada had its own version of ‘Rosie the Riveter,’ geared at enticing women to fill positions in factories to contribute to the war effort, as men were fighting overseas. Indicating the essen- tial need for women in factories while men were off to war, Canada’s Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, Liberal Party leader from 1919-1948, addressed the nation in August 1942. “Men and women are needed to make the machines, the munitions and weapons of war for our fighting men,” he stated. “These women did their part to keep production facilities operating at peak capacity by learning the trades and skills necessary.”Thousands of women answered the call. The peak of wartime employment during 1943-1944, saw approximately 373,000 women working in factories, according to Veterans Affairs in Canada Remembers: Women at War. In September 1942, recruitment began with the Women’s Division of the National Selective Service in Canada. Initially, “Selective Service officers were to restrict employment permits to single women or to married women without children, as much as possible,” wrote Ruth Roach Pierson in Canadian Women and the Second World War. Pierson also noted that “The September registration had revealed that in British Columbia, the Prairies, and the Maritimes, there were more than twenty thousand young single women without home responsibilities and willing to work full time.” Large production factories in Quebec and Ontario saw approxi- mately 15,000 rural workers transferred to these facilities. These women did their part to keep production facilities operat- ing at peak capacity by learning the trades and skills necessary to support the ongoing war machine. The Canadian government also sponsored childcare centres so women could work. Canadian women were vital contributors to Canada’s Victory Campaign whereby, in late 1944, Canadians liberated the south- western region of the Netherlands, with which Canada had a special relationship, from the Germans. The strategic location was then utilized for logistical purposes. Women performed many repetitive tasks that required fine precision work in electronics, instrument assembly, and optics, for example, something that they proved to be very adept in doing. Women had proven that they could do ‘men’s’ work on factory production lines. These opportunities enabled women’s earning power, although for significantly less pay than their male counterparts. Although many women were already part of the workforce, the war effort was joined by those from middle and upper-class backgrounds who previ- ously remained in the home. After World War II, most women were let go from their jobs and returned home. The demand for war materials fell, and soldiers were returning home from the war seeking employment to get back on their feet and reacclimatize to civilian life. Even so, between 61 and 85 percent of women wanted to remain in their jobs after the war. For them, working signified newfound freedom and independence. As Anne Montague, the founder of Thanks! Plain and Simple, an organization affiliated with the American Rosie Movement, noted in the Washington Post: “You know, they said about the men, ‘How ya gonna keep ‘em down on the farm after they’ve seen Paree?’ What I say about the women is, ‘How ya gonna keep ‘em knitting with yarn after they’ve seen Lockheed?’’’ In contrast, today, women are encouraged to pursue careers in the manufacturing industry, and technology and the quickly changing world of automation and augmentation will require specialized skills. More women are pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). According to the U.S. Department of Education, STEM degrees achieved by women increased almost sixty-seven percent during the 2008 to 2009 academic year. Close to thirty-three percent of STEM degree recipients in the U.S. were women from 2017 to 2018, equating to close to 240,000 degrees from colleges and universities. This number is up from the 2008 to 2009 statistic of over 143,000 degrees. Women not only took positions across North America in the manufacturing sector in support of the war effort, but they also sacrificed their sons, husbands, fathers, and brothers. For that, women deserve our enduring gratitude. Designed by Ashley Dowling 19 MANUFACTURING IN FOCUS Next >