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%，但只占制造业工作岗位的27%。《美国制造业技能缺口》估计，由于缺乏合格的求职者，每10个制造业岗位中就有6个空缺。为美国经济的关键制造业增加劳动力储备的一种方法可能是在该领域招募更多女性。本项目旨在实现这一目标，通过实施模范实践，在制造业教育项目和就业中招募和留住代表性不足的群体，特别是女性。它将实施一种学徒式的培训模式，期望这种经验将增加妇女在制造业工作中的进入和保留。项目研究结果可能会为女性和其他群体代表性不足的其他STEM领域提供信息。该项目可作为评价项目在增加妇女和其他代表性不足群体参与制造业、教育和职业方面的有效性的指南。欧文斯伯勒社区和技术学院建议在肯塔基州西部欧文斯伯勒地区的制造业培训项目和职业中增加代表性不足的群体的数量，特别是女性。主要观众将是代表性不足的群体，特别是已经从事制作工作的女性。该项目包括以下目标：1)扩大目前的项目范围，为女学生和其他代表性不足的群体提供制造培训；2)实施行之有效的留住策略，确保学生成功（强化咨询、早期入职培训、有与女性和弱势群体合作经验的制造业教师的指导和指导，以及促进讨论）；3)在非传统领域（大使/导师、营销活动中所描述的代表性不足的群体和信息会议）中纳入已证实的技术，以招募代表性不足的群体，特别是女性；4)主持与专家的讨论，促进学校、学院和雇主之间的对话，以提高对制造业性别多样性的认识、认知和沟通。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值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.