Despite the admirable efforts of women like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, American women still face a number of challenges in the workplace. In the manufacturing industry, more open positions are being awarded to men. Women are also still struggling to be taken seriously as supervisors, managers, and skilled workers. If you work in the manufacturing industry, you must understand these issues and take steps to mitigate or eliminate them.
A May 2013 article in Thomasnet News' Industry Market Trends indicates that the gender gap in the manufacturing industry is actually widening. Although the number of jobs available in the manufacturing industry has been increasing steadily in 2010, most of the new jobs are offered to male workers. This trend does not bode well for workplace equality, as there are fewer women available to fight against gender discrimination and other work-related problems.
Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota senator, released a report stating that the manufacturing industry had added 530,000 new jobs to the economy between February 2010 and April 2013. Unfortunately, women experienced a net loss of 28,000 jobs during the same period. Men experienced a gain of 558,000 jobs. As of May 2013, women account for only 32 percent of the manufacturing industry workforce. In fact, women made up a greater percentage of the manufacturing workforce in 1990 than they do today.
One of the biggest challenges facing women in the manufacturing industry is a lack of training. While many parents and educators encourage men to pursue careers in engineering and the sciences, most women do not receive the same type of encouragement. Without the right skills and training, women are unable to convince their employers to implement workplace equality initiatives. Because the manufacturing industry currently has a shortage of skilled workers, the best jobs will go to those with advanced training. Women who were not given the opportunity to learn advanced skills will not have the opportunity to take high-paying jobs.
Some of the problems in the manufacturing industry can be attributed to educational differences between men and women. Although approximately half of all college graduates are women, more men obtain graduate and doctoral degrees. The disparity is especially apparent in pharmaceutical manufacturing and other types of high-tech manufacturing. Educational institutions and manufacturers must work together to attract women to the industry and make the necessary education and training programs available.
Although women have made great strides in the workforce, their efforts have not eliminated some of the toughest challenges. These challenges are especially difficult to overcome in the male-dominated manufacturing industry due to the shortage of skilled female workers. More opportunities for training and an emphasis on education in math, science, and engineering could help women overcome this challenge and help the manufacturing industry reach new heights of success in the United States.
(Photo courtesy of njaj / freedigitalphotos.net)
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