4th STEP Ahead Awards Recognize Women for Excellence in Manufacturing

March 1, 2016: The Manufacturing Institute announced they will award 130 women with the Women in Manufacturing STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering and Production) Ahead Award. The STEP Ahead Awards honor women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent all levels of the manufacturing industry, from the factory-floor to the C suite.

“These 130 women are the faces of exciting careers in manufacturing,” said Jennifer McNelly, executive director, The Manufacturing Institute. “We chose to honor these women because they each made significant achievements in manufacturing through positive impact on their company and the industry as a whole.”

“Congratulations to these outstanding leaders. Thanks to their work, not only are their companies creating opportunity, but they are leading an innovation revolution—a revolution that will win us jobs, raise standards of living and restore our mantle of leadership around the world. This revolution is strengthened by the diversity in the manufacturing industry. And through the work of these accomplished leaders, we are demonstrating to the country that modern manufacturing offers a range of exciting and rewarding career paths," said Jay Timmons, president and CEO, National Association of Manufacturers.

The STEP Ahead Awards are part of the larger STEP Ahead initiative, launched to examine and promote the role of women in the manufacturing industry through recognition, research, and leadership for attracting, advancing, and retaining strong female talent. A recent survey from Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute found that 80 percent of American manufacturing companies have a moderate to severe shortage of available, qualified workers, and less than a third of the manufacturing workforce are women. Closing the skills gap includes closing the gender gap. On April 21, The Manufacturing Institute will recognize 130 recipients of the STEP Ahead Awards at a reception in Washington, D.C. The STEP Ahead Awards program will highlight each Honoree’s story, including their leadership and accomplishments in manufacturing.  

About The Manufacturing Institute

The Manufacturing Institute (the Institute) is the 501(c)(3) affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers. As a non-partisan organization, the Institute is committed to delivering leading-edge information and services to the nation's manufacturers. The Institute is the authority on the attraction, qualification and development of world-class manufacturing talent. 

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