September 2019
You can locate helpful resources within your
community and across Michigan by reaching out to
diversity-focused organizations like the Society of
Women Engineers (SWE), National Society of Black
Engineers (NSBE), Society of Asian Scientists and
Engineers (SASE) and Society of Hispanic Professional
Engineers (SHPE). You’ll find several grant programs
and funding opportunities designed specifically to
aid manufacturers in becoming more diverse and
inclusive while helping to locate new talent.
Why D&I Matters
Manufacturers already face a perception problem:
• Twenty percent of parents still outright view the
industry as dark, dirty and dangerous, despite the
fact that walking into most any facility will quickly
clear people of some, if not all, of those assumptions.
• Ninety percent of people would rank manufacturing
as vital to the success of the American economy —
the highest of any sector — yet only a third would
encourage their children to pursue industry careers
• The jump to a new era of manufacturing —
Industry 4.0 — represents a change in how people
and technology coexist on the shop floor and
could lead to nearly 2.5 million manufacturing
jobs left unfilled as skilled trades training and
career awareness struggle to catch up
The point is, with all those things working against
you, why add to the problem with a workplace
culture reinforcing the idea that manufacturing is
stuck in the past?
“I hope to see more diversity — with Michigan’s
many rural communities that can be challenging, but
I hope to see this continue,” said Elsner. “I hope to
see a broader generational group as we move younger
MiMfg Magazine
generations into the mix. They will be up for hire
and I do hope the work we do in our workplaces and
with our community partners will get them not only
interested in manufacturing but more interested
than previous generations.”
Your business can begin, change or heighten its
effort to become more diverse and more inclusive.
As you do, people will continue to tour your facility
on MFG Day and every other day yet they will do it
with open eyes and an open mind. Those are the people
who will be inspired about your innovations and
your technologies, get excited about the wages and
benefits and they can look at your culture and see
your business as the right spot to start their future.
For more information on locating the resources to
locate talent and improve your company’s workplace
culture, contact MMA’s Brett Gerrrish, at 517-487-
8533 or [email protected].
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Brett Gerrish is MMA’s communications
coordinator. He may be reached at
[email protected] or 517-487-8533.
Sources:
The Aging of the Manufacturing Workforce: Challenges and
Best Practices, The Manufacturing Institute, 2019.
All in: Shaping tomorrow’s manufacturing workforce through
diversity and inclusion, The Manufacturing Institute, 2018.
6 Steps for Building an Inclusive Workplace, Kathy Gurchiek,
SHRM, www.shrm.org, March 19, 2018.
Women in manufacturing: Stepping up to make an impact
that matters, Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute, 2017.
Debunking the Myths about Manufacturing, SME, 2016.
Minding the manufacturing gender gap, Deloitte and the
Manufacturing Institute, 2015.
Your Support is Critical
Contributing to the MMA-PAC is an
investment in Michigan’s future and
one of the most affordable and effective
ways to support pro-manufacturing
legislators and candidates.
Donate at mimfg.org or contact Brianna
Mills at 517-487-8523 or [email protected].
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“Our ability to support pro-manufacturing
candidates is imperative as anti-
manufacturing voices are working
strategically against our industry.”
— Patrick Curry, MMA-PAC Chair
and President of Fullerton Tool
MMA-PAC can accept personal contributions or contributions from sole-proprietorships, partnerships
or limited liability companies (LLCs). State Law prohibits acceptance of corporate checks.