Advancing Female Incumbent Workers in the Manufacturing Industry

根据2015年制造业女性研究，女性占美国劳动力总数的47%，但只占制造业工作的27%。美国制造业的技能缺口估计，由于缺乏合格的应聘者，每十个制造业职位中就有六个空缺。为美国经济的关键制造业增加劳动力池的一种方法可能是招募更多女性进入该领域。该项目旨在通过实施示范做法，在制造业教育方案和就业中招募和留住代表人数不足的群体，特别是女性，以实现这一目标。它将实施学徒式培训模式，期望这一经验将增加制造业工作中妇女的进入和留住。项目结果可能会向其他STEM地区提供信息，在这些地区，女性和其他群体的代表也很少。该项目可以作为评估项目有效性的指南，以提高女性和其他代表性不足的群体参与制造业教育和职业的程度。欧文斯伯勒社区和技术学院建议在肯塔基州西部的大欧文斯伯勒地区增加制造业培训计划和职业生涯中代表性不足的群体的数量，特别是女性。主要受众将是代表不足的群体，特别是已经在制作岗位上就业的女性。该项目包括以下目标：1)扩大现有课程，为女学生和其他任职人数不足的群体提供制造业培训；2)实施行之有效的保留战略，以确保学生取得成功(密集咨询、早期迎新计划、有与女性和任职人数不足群体合作经验的制造业教员的指导和指导，以及促进讨论)；3)采用成熟的技术，在非传统领域招募任职人数不足的群体，特别是女性(大使/导师、营销活动中描述的任职人数不足的群体和信息会议)；4)东道主促成了与专家的讨论，以便在学校、大学和雇主之间建立对话，促进提高意识、看法和沟通，从而在制造业中实现更大的性别多样性。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

According to the 2015 Women in Manufacturing Study, women comprise 47% of the total United States labor force, but hold only 27% of manufacturing jobs. The Skills Gap in US Manufacturing estimates that six of every ten manufacturing jobs are unfilled because of a shortage of qualified applicants. One approach to increasing the labor pool for the critical manufacturing sector of the US economy may be to recruit more women into the field. This project aims to achieve this goal by implementing model practices to recruit and retain underrepresented groups, particularly females, in manufacturing education programs and employment. It will implement an apprenticeship-style training model, with the expectation that this experience will increase entry and retention of women in manufacturing jobs. Project findings may inform other STEM areas in which females and other groups are also underrepresented. The project may serve as a guide for evaluating project effectiveness in increasing participation of females and other underrepresented groups in manufacturing education and careers.Owensboro Community and Technical College proposes to increase the number of underrepresented groups, particularly females, in manufacturing training programs and careers in the greater Owensboro region of western Kentucky. The primary audience will be underrepresented groups, particularly females, already employed in production positions. The project includes the following goals: 1) Expand current program offerings to provide manufacturing training to female students and other underrepresented groups; 2) Implement proven retention strategies to ensure students are successful (intensive advising, an early orientation program, instruction and mentoring from a manufacturing faculty with experience working with females and underrepresented groups, and facilitated discussions); 3) Incorporate proven techniques to recruit underrepresented groups, particularly females, in non-traditional fields (ambassadors/mentors, underrepresented groups depicted in marketing activities, and information sessions); 4) Host facilitated discussions with experts to create dialogue between schools, colleges, and employers that promote increased awareness, perceptions, and communication leading to greater gender diversity in the manufacturing industry.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.