More women needed in manufacturing, says MAS-WM boss
Boosting the number of female engineers could help solve a growing skills shortage in manufacturing. That's according to Simon Griffiths, chief executive of the Manufacturing Advisory Service – West Midlands (MAS-WM).
Griffiths said companies in the region were "missing out on a valuable solution" to tackling ageing workforces and a lack of new talent coming into the sector by not employing more women.
The former GKN and Land Rover engineer said he was keen to change perceptions of women in the manufacturing industry.
"I talk to a lot of companies and the majority say they can't find the right people to fill the roles, yet many limit themselves to half the available workforce by focusing too much on male engineers," said Griffiths.
"This is an age-old tradition and one that we need to change if we are to avert the type of skills crisis that could seriously hamper the growth of manufacturers in the region."
He added that the sector needed to showcase its best factories and encourage more women role models to talk to young people. "Only then can we expect to even the gender ratio," he said.
