Washington D.C.

While the U.S. manufacturing industry is experiencing an economic resurgence, the industry’s ongoing skills gap is affecting 80 percent of employers and is exacerbated by the underrepresentation of women, according to a new report from Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute.

Challenges and opportunities to integrate more women into the manufacturing workforce are illustrated in the study, “Celebrating success, achievement and potential of women in manufacturing: A leadership view of overcoming the talent crisis and filling the skills gap.”

Building upon the women in manufacturing research previously published by The Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte, senior executives representing automotive, aerospace and defense, process and diversified manufacturing participated in an executive roundtable on Feb. 6, 2014. They discussed women in the manufacturing industry and initiatives to help close the gender gap, including how manufacturers can best attract, retain and advance talented women in the industry.

During the roundtable, executives focused on the C-suite’s role in changing the corporate culture in the industry and what manufacturers can do to create a strong employer brand.

“The skills shortage facing U.S. manufacturers is apparent and the underrepresentation of women only contributes to the gap,” said Jennifer McNelly, president of The Manufacturing Institute. “We must empower each other as ambassadors of the industry so we can inspire the next-generation of young women to pursue manufacturing careers and encourage current female talent within the industry.”

In 2012, The Manufacturing Institute launched the STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering and Production) initiative to honor and promote the role of women in the manufacturing industry through recognition, research and leadership. The STEP Initiative was founded to change perceptions of the manufacturing industry and create new opportunities for women in the sector. This report was created as part of the larger STEP Ahead Initiative led by the Institute.

“While women make up approximately 50 percent of the labor force according to industry estimates, that number is only about 24 percent in the manufacturing labor force,” said Craig Giffi, vice chairman, Deloitte LLP and Automotive and Industrial Products Industry leader. “Manufacturing executives have developed several effective strategies to help close the gender gap and in turn, the skills gap.”

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