hinhdepz7

A new Senate report titled "Manufacturing Jobs for the Future" was released this week.  The report says the U.S. manufacturing sector has added half a million jobs since 2010.  During the same period, exports of U.S.-made goods rose 38 percent, according to the report. But that's where the good news stops. The same report, prepared by the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress, points out that while men have gained 565,000 jobs in the manufacturing sector, women have lost 11,000 jobs.  The report says that women now make up only 27 percent of manufacturing workers in the U.S., the lowest that number has been since 1971. An International Business Times article about this week's study relates it to another recent piece of research put out by the same body in May of this year.  We wrote about the "Women in Manufacturing" study by the Joint Economic Committee in a blog post at that time.  That study explained not just the declining number of women, but ...

If you're doing some holiday shopping for young girls this season, we've got some suggestions for you from the New York Times -  "Why not skip the doll aisle for toys that encourage science and engineering?," the Times asks in a recent Technology blog post . For specific suggestions, the blog points readers to a list of 16 gifts for girls compiled by the American Association of University Women. There are gifts for all ages from a "Future Scientist" onesie to "Computer Engineer Barbie" and several science and activity kits. Check out the full New York Times blog post here . Happy shopping!

We've received the official photos from the 2013 WiM SUMMIT!  We think they're great and want to share a few with you here - U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, co-chair of the Senate Manufacturing Caucus. Katy Breitenbach from Catalyst gave a great General Session presentation on engaging men while recruiting and encouraging women. SUMMIT attendees participate in a session with Lego Serious Play. WiM SUMMIT attendees enjoy a break between sessions. WiM SUMMIT attendees listen during a SUMMIT General Session. The SUMMIT concluded with remarks from GM's Alicia Boler-Davis. Want more?  See some unofficial, but still great photos from the SUMMIT on our Facebook page .

Photo from Forbes Announced Today - General Motors global product chief Mary Barra has been named the new CEO. Barra will take over on January 15 from Dan Akerson, who has been CEO and chairman of the GM board since September 1, 2010. When Barra takes over, she'll be the first woman to hold the top job at a major automaker. There has been a lot of media coverage of the announcement and here are a few great things we've learned about Barra so far: She's a women in STEM!  Barra has a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Kettering University. Barra's father worked for 39 years as a GM diemaker and Barra herself started at the company at age 18 as an intern. Barra has held many different positions at GM from leading a manufacturing plant to internal communications, to human resources and product development, but is described as a "car guy" with a focus on excellence in cars and trucks. She balances her work responsibilities with her role as a ...

Why not add a special Made in America touch? These stamps are called "Made in America: Building a Nation Forever®" and they honor the courageous workers who helped build our country. Derry Noyes was the stamp project's art director and designer.  And we really love them because they include pictures of manufacturers throughout history - men and women! Pick some up - they're being issued as Forever® stamps in self-adhesive panes of 12.  And Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce rate.

WiM Members - Join us this Wednesday for a webinar with Harbour Results, Inc. (HRI) President Laurie Harbour. Laurie will present key insights and implications from the 2013 Vendor Tooling Study which was released on Oct. 30th. As you probably know, automotive vendor tooling is a $10 billion market industry and growing in North America and it is a major area of focus today for all automotive OEMs, suppliers and tooling suppliers. Laurie's presentation will be especially important as the 2013 study sheds light on best practices that eliminate waste within product development, purchasing and manufacturing.  Her webinar will feature an in-depth analysis of current vendor tooling practices, as well as the culture shift necessary for OEMs and suppliers to succeed in the increasingly competitive global marketplace. This area of business is growing and has a tremendous capacity constraint. Laurie will examine this business and provide insights to meet the challenges. The webinar is sche...