Manufacturers Team with University of Florida to Build Trust in COVID-19 Vaccines Among Frontline Manufacturing Workers

WASHINGTON, D.C., 06/23/21 –

The Manufacturing Institute, the workforce development and education partner of the National Association of Manufacturers, in collaboration with the University of Florida Center for Public Interest Communications, has published “Protecting the People Who Make America,” a step-by-step approach to help the nation’s manufacturing employers activate research-backed strategies to encourage vaccination among their employees and communities. The guide draws on in-depth research, including polling and focus groups, specific to manufacturing communities and is part of the NAM and MI’s “This Is Our Shot” project.

“We know that while we’ve made great progress as a country in getting armed against COVID-19, many communities with a large manufacturing presence are lagging behind. Manufacturing leaders and the business community are among the most trusted voices in the country,” said MI Executive Director Carolyn Lee. “So, we take seriously our opportunity to use that platform to reduce vaccine hesitancy. Our partnership with the Center for Public Interest Communications has allowed us to do targeted polling and in-depth research into manufacturing communities to identify strategies and messages that are most helpful in addressing people’s questions about vaccines. We are now able to equip our industry with the tools and best practices to build confidence in the lifesaving vaccines that will protect manufacturing workers, their families and their communities.” 

Key findings for employers to increase vaccine acceptance among their workforce:

• Employers should remove all possible barriers to vaccination; that may include providing paid time off for employees to recover from potential side effects, helping navigate the appointment system or offering child care and ride vouchers if needed.
• Employers should tap into people’s daily habits and make access to the vaccine as close to normal as possible.
• One-on-one conversations are among the most-effective communications tools for building confidence among those who have not yet gotten the vaccine.
• Use personal stories of people who have been vaccinated, highlighting those folks who are familiar and trusted by those in the communities you are working to reach.
• Tailor messages so that vaccination is described as being about protecting family, making a commonsense choice and being self-sufficient and responsible.

Click here to read “Protecting the People Who Make America.”

-This Is Our Shot-

Getting manufacturing teams—and more Americans—to receive their shot is one of the most important steps toward ending the pandemic, getting back to life and powering recovery and renewal. To accomplish this essential mission, the National Association of Manufacturers and The Manufacturing Institute—the workforce development and education partner of the NAM—launched the “This Is Our Shot” project to provide resources to ensure that manufacturers, their teams and their communities know that COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and available. For more information on the “This Is Our Shot” project, please visit www.nam.org/thisisourshot.

-The MI-

The MI grows and supports the manufacturing industry’s skilled workers for the advancement of modern manufacturing. The MI’s diverse initiatives support all workers in America, including women, veterans and students, through skills training programs, community building and the advancement of their career in manufacturing. As the workforce development and education partner of the NAM, the MI is a trusted adviser to manufacturers, equipping them with resources necessary to solve the industry’s toughest challenges. For more information on the MI, please visit www.themanufacturinginstitute.org.

-The UF Center for Public Interest Communications-

The Center for Public Interest Communications, housed in the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, is the first of its kind in the nation blending a strategic communication consultancy with the resources of a Top 10 public research university. Launched in February 2018, the Center studies, tests and applies the science of strategic communication for social change. The Center partners with global government agencies, NGOs, universities, foundations and nonprofits to craft effective campaigns, media strategies and storytelling cultures while ensuring science-based communication is built into program design, strategy and content recommendations. The Center is a self-supporting auxiliary educational business activity of the University of Florida. For more information on the Center, please visit realgoodcenter.jou.ufl.edu.

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