WHEELING – More and more women are considering careers in the manufacturing industry where there is an expanse of fulfilling and lucrative opportunities, a recent study by the National Association of Manufacturers shows.
As of March 2023, women fill nearly 29% of the U.S. manufacturing industry positions – an historical number since World War II, when more than six million women worked in U.S. factories while their spouses waged war overseas.
Since 2010, the number of females in U.S. manufacturing has grown to almost equal the number of males in the industry, according to the NAM study.
(Chart from NAM press release, March 6, 2023)
This year’s turnout for the Women of the Technology & Manufacturing Association’s Annual Luncheon reflected that surge in interest among females – as over 150 women and men gathered at the Chevy Chase Country Club in Wheeling, IL August 22, 2024.
The keynote inspirational speaker for this year’s luncheon was Meaghan Ziemba, host of the popular “Mavens in Manufacturing” podcast and an industry promoter. Her topic emphasis was the “good and bad” in the manufacturing industry.
The good news, Ziemba said, was as of 2024, 13 million are employed in US manufacturing a growth of 11%. Industry construction has grown by 37%, totaling a record high of $225 billion.
“With those numbers, one could ask what’s not so good? Well, unfortunately we have this workforce issue, where a lot of positions is opening up and right now, the net need for new employees could be 3.8 million between now and 2033,” Ziemba said.
With nearly half of those jobs expected to remain unfilled, that could cost America $1 Trillion, which is “not so good,” she said.
She then pulled all the stats together to explain what she sees as a need to “humanize the industry” and encourage women to share their stories about why and how they decided to pursue careers in manufacturing over other worthwhile pursuits.
As a result of Ziemba’s urging, several audience members shared their stories spontaneously, encouraging more and more to tell their stories and attract the next generation of girls and women to consider careers in STEM, manufacturing, engineering and so on.
During the luncheon, the Women in TMA presented this year’s Rose Mottl Leadership in Manufacturing Award to Aneesa Muthana, the CEO of two Chicago area manufacturing companies, M&M Quality Grinding Inc. and Pioneer Service Inc.
The annual WTMA award is named after Rose Mottl, who was the owner of Atlas Tool and Die Works and actively involved in TMA before her death at age 92 in 2012. The award recognizes women who have made significant contributions to manufacturing and whose efforts serve as an inspiration to current and future generations of women in manufacturing.
“Aneesa Muthana is extremely involved and dedicated within the industry and travels as a keynote speaker to bring awareness on inclusivity to the industry through mutual respect,” TMA Manager of Programming Sara-Ann Ellis told the luncheon audience about the 2024 award winner.
“She is heavily engaged in her community, encouraging people to rethink manufacturing and bringing to light all the opportunities in this field. All this, while still making the time to be an active, present member of TMA.”
While accepting the award, Muthana thanked the “powerhouse of women” that have helped her achieve her accomplishments in the industry.
“There are women and men who have paved the way for me, and I thank them,” she said. “Let us lift each other and empower each other, especially the next generation because we need those women to keep the next generation moving.”
In addition to the Rose Mottl Award, the WTMA presented four financial scholarships through the TMA Education Foundation to young women just entering the manufacturing industry.
The recipients included Salma Sammak of All Star Tool, Brenda Guerrero of Principal Manufacturing, Laura Abad of Orion Manufacturing and Vanessa Hernandez of Saporito Finishing Company.
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