BASF and the Manufacturing Institute foster career development for women in manufacturing

HOUSTON, TX, OCTOBER 5, 2016 — With women representing less than a third of the manufacturing workforce, it’s clear employers miss out on a critical, untapped facet of the talent pool, which could remarkably aid in closing the industry skills gap. On October 7, BASF and the Manufacturing Institute will address the top challenges regarding female industry representation, such as recruitment, retention, advancement, and sustainability of the talent pipeline, at STEP Forward, a full day event at the University of Houston in Texas.

According to the Deloitte/Manufacturing Institute study, an estimated 3.5 million manufacturing jobs will open over the next 10 years, and approximately two million of them will go unfilled due to lack of skilled workers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. This limits business growth within the industry, negatively affects the overall economy, and threatens America’s ability to remain a global industry leader. To ensure the sustainability and growth of the industry, and the ability to meet the demands of a growing world population, employers must increase efforts to attract and retain more women.

“Manufacturing Day is a unique opportunity for manufacturers to strengthen their strategy for their future workforce. It mobilizes the next generation to act as a catalyst for change within their community,” said Jennifer McNelly, Executive Director of The Manufacturing Institute. “We are thrilled to continue engaging women in manufacturing and future women leaders in the Houston area to move towards closing the skills gap.”

“The manufacturing industry needs talented individuals from all backgrounds. Attracting diverse candidates to jobs in our industry is a focus area for both The Manufacturing Institute and BASF,” said Patricia Rossman, Chief Diversity Officer at BASF. “By introducing women to STEM programs at a young age, and showing them the skills needed to succeed in these disciplines, we prepare them for rewarding and well-paying career opportunities.”

For more information or to register for the event, please visit: STEP Forward Manufacturing Day

About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has nearly 17,500 employees in North America, and had sales of $17.4 billion in 2015. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.us.
 
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 112,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of more than €70 billion in 2015. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information at www.basf.com.

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. For more information, please visit www.themanufacturinginstitute.org.

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