“I do hope that as a result of this wonderful initiative, more and more people will start thinking more and more often about getting women into manufacturing roles.” – Vinita Bali, Iconic Industry Leader
Unlocking the manufacturing industry’s growth potential requires tapping into the under-utilized source of talent – Women. With the aim to inspire more women to join the industry and to start a vigorous conversation about the way ahead, we are announcing the Women ACES of Manufacturing, a programme ‘Presented by the Aditya Birla Group’ and brought to you by Pro MFG Media.
July 2022: Globally, the manufacturing sector is going through an unprecedented transformation with the industry changing the way it works. Convergence of technologies is enabling the industry to achieve its goals of productivity, sustainability and innovation in a more efficient manner. At the core of this transformational journey is talent, and it is talent that drives competitiveness and profitability for the manufacturing organizations. Ironically enough, the industry continues to face a huge shortfall in terms of availability of skilled employees. And yet, a vast source of talent is still not sufficiently tapped – Women!
Necessary & beneficial
It is estimated that the Indian manufacturing sector, which employs 27.3 million people, has only 12 percent women. This under-representation and under-utilization of women talent is hurting the manufacturing industry’s ability to evolve and expand. Today, manufacturing organizations also understand that gender diversity is both necessary and beneficial for creating a work culture that drives productivity and progress. Of course, it is equally important that women too understand that they can build fulfilling and meaningful careers in manufacturing. So if the future of manufacturing has to be growth oriented, it needs to be both diverse and inclusive. Thankfully, the world has already started walking towards this future boldly. ‘Women ACES of Manufacturing’ Presented by the Aditya Birla Group is a concrete step ahead in this direction.
A journey of transformation
The ‘Women Aces of Manufacturing’ initiative will be a knowledge based conference and recognition programme that will undertake a journey of transformation over a period of five months (July 2022 to November 2022). By being informative and interactive, it will inspire and connect women across the manufacturing sectors. It will also be a platform for sharing best practices, for making strides in personal career growth and for recognizing and celebrating Women Achievers. The ultimate objective of the ‘Women Aces of Manufacturing’ initiative is to collectively take Indian manufacturing forward with Dignity, Diversity and Distinction. The Project will feature interviews with achievers, virtual sessions, workshops as well as a recognition program. Iconic industry leader Vinita Bali calls it ‘a great initiative’. She even acknowledges that we typically don’t think of women in manufacturing’. “And yet, wherever there are women in manufacturing the results and the metrics look simply great. There are wonderful, very qualified and competent women out there who have done their degrees in engineering. And I think we owe it to the women in manufacturing - whether it is the public sector or the private sector - for creating avenues, for utilizing their capacity, their capability and their competence for the growth and development of not just themselves, but also of our country. I do hope that as a result of this wonderful initiative, more and more people will start thinking more and more often about getting women into manufacturing roles,” Ms Bali states.
Professional Tracks
Through these tracks, new and aspiring supervisors, managers as well as team leaders, will get an opportunity to learn and to develop skills that are necessary for managerial success. These tracks will be an interactive series of workshops designed to help young women manufacturing professionals build their careers and also develop leadership acumen to prepare them for success in their current and future roles.
Awards and Recognition
The ‘Women Aces of Manufacturing’ initiative aims at celebrating Women in Manufacturing. We would like to recognise women who have made outstanding contributions during the course of their established careers in manufacturing. Recipients include women who are dedicated to supporting, promoting, and inspiring women in the manufacturing industry. The nomination can be filled in by any member who has worked in the team alongside the nominee or via self-nomination.
Fireside Chats
Under the banner of ‘Women Aces of Manufacturing’, you will find powerful stories of brilliant female leaders who are ACES in every sense of the term. These stories will unfold through insightful and inspiring Fireside Chats with these leaders. The objective of these Fireside Chats is to spark a stimulating conversation focused on leadership, bridging the gap, unveiling the growth opportunities in manufacturing for women. The International Women’s Day in 2022 celebrated women who are triumphing against all odds and are fearless enough to #BreakTheBias. Women ACES of Manufacturing is a journey with these fantastic females who are not just confident and aware of their surroundings but are also ready to endeavour and make a difference.
Coaching Circles
This section will be all about mentoring and creating the next generation of women leaders. This initiative believes that more women need to be in leadership roles as diversity is crucial for all manufacturing businesses across industry sectors. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Gender Gap Report 2021, only 8.9 percent of firms in India have women as top managers. If this void can be filled in then businesses can not only be more diverse and inclusive but also be more successful. The ‘Women Aces of Manufacturing’ initiative will aim to achieve the same. Conducted by proven leaders and successful mentors, these Coaching Circles will be geared towards the cultivation of leadership skills amongst senior women manufacturing professionals.
Industry Panels
Aimed at enabling the professional development of women manufacturing professionals with focus on domain knowledge and functional proficiency, these panels will highlight the latest trends and industry insights. This is where our participants will learn and get inspired by prominent experts from different sectors and functions who will share their experience and know-how towards achieving operational and business excellence.
Welcome Aboard
We understand that manufacturing businesses need to adopt a new approach when it comes to recruiting, retaining, and advancing women at the workplace. Work cultures cannot change without having women on the shopfloor or in the boardroom. Therefore, organizations have to make strategic changes to become attractive to high-performing women talent and also develop programmes to ensure that this talent stays and grows. Well, the road ahead is challenging but the journey has started. The ‘Women Aces of Manufacturing’ initiative is aimed at enabling manufacturing organizations to understand what they need to do to make this journey not just successful but also enduring. So come along; we are building the beacon that will shine only when the best and brightest join us.
For more information & nomination form, write to us at: fiona@promfgmedia.com
