HP Innovation Journal Issue 14: Spring 2020 | Page 49

she says, “we figured out that if we closed the gender
gap by 10%, we would close the skills gap by 50%.” Lee
also points to various formal and informal efforts by
manufacturers to reskill their broader workforce, tapping
into male and female talent alike and, in the process,
equalizing opportunities.
One notable example is Toyota’s Federation for Advanced
Manufacturing Education (FAME) apprenticeship pro-
gram, which partnered with nearly 400 companies in 13
states to offer students a two-year Advanced Manufactur-
ing Technician degree. The students came from various
backgrounds, including existing manufacturing workers
looking to advance their skills. FAME has garnered such
success that Toyota and NAM have recently partnered to
transfer its stewardship to the Manufacturing Institute for
national expansion. Citing that women make up 10% of the
program, Lee points out, “While that is at the high end of
the industry, our goal is to double that within five years.”
HP has also been implementing digital fluency for
employees to build skills aligned to the company’s digital
strategy and will launch development roadmaps for deeper
certifications across all businesses and functions. “Women
have an opportunity to continue to grow their skills and
shape their own careers—and organizations have an
opportunity to harness their improved productivity and
creativity to propel themselves into a future of increased
automation,” says Keogh. “HP is preparing our female
employees to develop and thrive as automation, robotics,
and roles shift with the digital transformation.”
This article originally appeared on the Garage by HP.
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