“I Am a Woman with a Career in Manufacturing”
FLATE’s NEW “Women in Manufacturing” Video Explores Gender Equality & Diversity in Manufacturing
FLATE, the Florida-based National Science Foundation Regional Center of Excellence, is announcing the release of its recently produced new video highlighting the role of “Women in Manufacturing.” The video is an extension of FLATE’s role in leading initiatives across Florida that enable and empower women/girls to be excited and engaged in STEM and manufacturing. The “Women in Manufacturing” Video explores a hotly debated, but relevant topic on gender equality and diversity in the manufacturing workforce.
The Video is currently posted on FLATE’s YouTube Channel, and is produced through a collaboration with the Scientific League, a Florida-based multi-media production company that promotes STEM and manufacturing.
The all NEW, Women in Manufacturing Video chronicles the journey of women, from the onset of World War I in 1917, when they entered, or were forced to enter the manufacturing workforce, and transports viewers to the present where women are increasingly a steady part of the manufacturing workforce occupying leadership roles in the global manufacturing marketplace. The Video is a journey in time as it provides a historical perspective on the challenges women have faced, continue to address and/or are beginning to dissipate as more women join the manufacturing workforce changing the status quo and face of the manufacturing industry itself. It even journeys into an imaginary timeline in the future, where in 2050 women could potentially represent 50% of the manufacturing workforce.
The Women in Manufacturing video is a captivating projection of the changing face of the manufacturing workforce. It captures the diverse perspectives of women from a dozen companies across Florida who are currently employed in the manufacturing sector. The video features personal accounts of women, from the factory floor right up to the C suite level, who share their views about their journey/pathway into manufacturing. These women provide first-hand perspectives about their experience not only as engineers, but as technicians and administrators and the richness in the diversity of their individual experiences/successes.
Despite the challenges/set-backs, in the United States, more than three million women have proven that it is possible to face the challenges to become successful in the manufacturing industry. The video showcases how women have succeeded and overcome some of these obstacles through sheer hard-work, competence and perseverance. The Video also highlights the benefits and rewarding aspects of being involved in manufacturing. It sheds light on some of the factors that have motivated women for the last 100 years to be a part of the manufacturing workforce, and how women have found fulfilment in the diversity of skills, knowledge and talent they bring to the workplace.
While women have come a long way, the video drives home a key point that there is still a lot of work to be done in the quest for equality in the workforce. Together we can empower the next generation of young women who represent the “I Am a Woman with a Career in Manufacturing” mantra that could end the gender inequality of women in manufacturing in America. To view the Women in Manufacturing video head on over to FLATE’s YouTube Channel at https://youtu.be/rKW7DslaZAs. Later this summer, stay tuned for the DVD version of the Women in Manufacturing video which will include additional interviews and other goodies. You can also access additional resources on FLATE’s websites www.madeinflorida.org and www.fl-ate.org, or contact Dr. Marilyn Barger at barger@fl-ate.org.
"FLATE is a National Science Foundation Regional Center of Excellence, committed to ensuring Florida has a well prepared workforce for advanced and emerging technologies. Created in 2004, FLATE is one of 42 Advanced Technological Education Centers in the United States funded by the National Science Foundation focused on improving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and training to meet the needs of American advanced technology industries. For more information visit www.fl-ate.org.
