The UMA Foundation is proud to announce that we are the recipients of the Scaling that Works grant from the National MEP Network in collaboration with the Blue Forge Alliance Foundation. This grant was awarded to programs with proven success to build a more diverse and skilled workforce. This is the first grant the UMA foundation has won to support women in the manufacturing industry. We were selected for the Manufacturing Women in Leadership program and the Dream Team.
The Manufacturing Women in Leadership program was developed by the Pennsylvania MEP – Catalyst Connection and consists of courses designed to elevate leadership skills and create actional strategies to advance women in their careers. This program will be a six-month series of sessions bringing women across all aspects of manufacturing together in a peer-based community.
This new program will complement the UMA Women in Manufacturing Initiative, supported by Autoliv. UMA will join a cohort funded by Blue Forge Alliance of other MEPs, including New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP), South Carolina Manufacturing Extension partnership (SCMEP) and the Center for Economic Growth, New York MEP.
A look at the landscape of women in the Utah manufacturing industry
Women working in the Utah manufacturing sector has increased 27% in just five years, 2018-2013. Women now make up 32% of the manufacturing workforce which is over 10,000 workers. There is still work to be done as women in the industry here in Utah make 33% less than men and only 5.6% of manufacturing companies are women led.
Based on these statistics, there is a significant opportunity to increase the number of women in leadership roles. Utah has been successful in attracting women to the manufacturing industry, but there need to be more opportunities for women to advance. We are excited to use this grant and to partner with the Utah-MEP and the Bolder Way Forward initiative to develop this program and offer the first cohort in Spring 2025.
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the UMA Women in Manufacturing Conference on March 26, 2025 at the SLCC Miller Campus in Sandy.
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Utah Dream Team
In addition to supporting women in manufacturing we have also been invited to implement a Dream Team program aimed to introduce and promote manufacturing careers in the Granite School District. Building upon the success of STEMHEADS the Utah Dream Team – consisting of the best and brightest young professionals in the industry – will visit classrooms and encourage K-12 students to explore manufacturing careers. This program was developed by the Manufacturing Resource Center, PA.
We will be joining a cohort, funded by Blue Forge Alliance, of Purdue Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance, and TechSolve (sector of the Ohio-MEP).
