Women want to be more involved with every aspect of manufacturing, according to a new survey released by Women in Manufacturing, a coalition of more than 500 women dedicated to attracting, retaining and advancing women in the manufacturing sector.
The survey, which was compiled in association with the consulting group Plante Moran, had its results published in the group’s report, entitled, “The Future of Female Talent in the Manufacturing Sector“.
More than 870 women participated in the survey, including both experienced women currently working in the manufacturing sector and young women considering their career options. Among the findings:
- Younger women ranked compensation as the most important factor in choosing a career, while about 80% of experienced women workers said value work that is interesting and challenging.
- About 74% of women working in manufacturing believe the sector offers multiple career paths for women and more than half said manufacturing is a “leading industry for job growth” for women.
- About 64% of women working in manufacturing said they would recommend a career in manufacturing to younger women just choosing a career path.
Despite these finding, the survey also found that younger women are often unaware of the opportunities available to them in the manufacturing sector. Fewer than 50% of younger women surveyed said they believed manufacturing offered interesting and challenging work.