Ultimately, Deloitte concluded that women are the manu- facturing industry’s largest pool of untapped talent. So Manufacturing Engineering decided to ask some wom- en who are leaders in manufacturing why there aren't more and how to improve the numbers. SME employees all, they are: Director, Industry Strategy & Events Deb Holton; Direc- tor of Training & Development Jeannine Kunz; and Industry Manager, Workforce Development Pamela Hurt.
Manufacturing Engineering: Why do you think there are so few women in manufacturing today? Deb Holton: Although girls are as equally competent in
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math as boys, they are not equally encouraged to pursue these subject areas. It was never explained to me that STEM careers were knowledge fields where creativity was valued, in strong demand and high- ly compensated. Also, there is a perception that manufactur- ing facilities are ‘man caves’ where swimsuit calendars hang from tool boxes. Reality: we still live in a ‘man’s world’ in many industries, with women currently holding 4.2% of Fortune 500 CEO positions and 4.2% of Fortune 1000 CEO positions. Jeannine Kunz: I agree. I believe many women have been encouraged by counselors, teachers and parents to pursue studies and careers more oriented to liberal arts. There used to be few to no activities for young girls to build technical skills, focus on problem-solving, or simply learn to make things. When I reviewed summer camp activities for my kin- dergarten-aged daughter, I had to search high and low to find a camp that was STEM-based. I am happy to see that now, just a couple of years later, there are more of these camps. Pamela Hurt: Also, there are too few role models in leadership positions. I was born into a John Deere family and married into a Caterpillar family, so I clearly understood from a very young age that manufacturing is a desirable way to spend your life and build a career. Parents do not encourage their kids—let alone their girls—to go into manufacturing.
ME: What role do you think stereotypes might play in
keeping women from pursuing careers in manufacturing and in keeping manufacturers from pursuing women for open positions? JK: I think it has a significant impact. The inaccurate
depiction of manufacturing as dirty and dangerous has been a barrier to young girls entering the field. It is not easy to change the brand image of a profession or an industry. The stereotypes of men and women also play a role in the lack of women in
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leadership positions. Sadly, some employers still question how a woman can raise a family and successfully hold a leadership position in a company. The truth is, times have changed. DH: I’m going to step into the ‘way-back machine’ and
think about how movies depict manufacturing careers: There’s ‘Norma Rae,’ Jennifer Beals in ‘Flashdance’—was it really better for her character to be a dancer than a welder?—and then good luck finding any more. Certainly, stereotypes play a role, but life is not a movie. It is the responsibility of those in the industry to break free of these stereotypes and share the truth about careers in industry—that they’re rewarding, lucrative and creative. We need to get young women interested in the actual mechanics of ‘making things’ and how exciting and fun that can be. Programs in schools like Project Lead the Way will help. PH: The other stereotype that has to be tackled is the long- held erroneous belief that girls are not as strong in math and science skills as boys. This has been proven to be incorrect but years of legacy stereotypes mean that we have at least a 30-year gap of girls being guided away from STEM careers.
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July 2013 |
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