The Manufacturing Institute is partnering with Deloitte, University of Phoenix, and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers on the STEP Ahead initiative (women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Production). The STEP Ahead initiative was launched to examine and promote the role of women in the manufacturing industry through Recognition, Research, and Education/Leadership. It will also highlight best practices for attracting, advancing and retaining strong female talent.
2013 STEP Awards Honorees Announced!
See information on STEP Awards Ceremony.
In the midst of the resurgence of manufacturing in the US, companies are facing a widely acknowledged talent shortfall. Meanwhile, there’s one obvious human power source that the manufacturing industry hasn’t effectively mined: women. Across the board, women are underrepresented throughout the U.S. manufacturing labor force. A formal research initiative was launched with Deloitte to better understand why manufacturing isn’t attracting its fair share of talented women and to offer best practices for how manufacturers can attract, retain, and advance female talent. See the full report.
In addition to recognizing current women in manufacturing and understanding current challenges, the STEP Ahead initiative will also empower woman manufacturing leaders to continue to develop their own leadership and that of the next generation.
The recognition portion is intended to highlight women who have demonstrated Science, Technology, Engineering and Production excellence in manufacturing. The STEP Awards recognizes women at all levels of a manufacturing organization from the factory floor to the C-suite. See the 2013 STEP Award Honorees!
The STEP Ahead initiative is the call for action to:
- Honor women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their manufacturing careers;
- Celebrate exciting careers in manufacturing to help change negative perceptions of the industry;
- Help close the skills gap by developing a more diverse workforce and attracting, retaining and advancing female talent in the manufacturing industry;
- Continue to ensure new opportunities for women in the manufacturing industry;
- Empower today’s current manufacturing leaders to help inspire the next-generation of leadership and talent.
