Made Smarter supports West Midlands women in manufacturing on International Women’s Day

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is #EmbraceEquity, a belief which is fully endorsed by the Made Smarter West Midlands team.

The idea behind the 2023 campaign is to get the world talking about why "equal opportunities are no longer enough."

Since Made Smarter was launched in the region in 2021, the programme has supported over 250 businesses with advice on how to improve their productivity through adopting digital technology, which has generated millions in GVA for the economy.

Throughout the West Midlands region, Made Smarter has supported numerous women and their businesses on the programme.

Sarah Gambrall Project Engagement Manager for West Midlands Made Smarter recently returned to her role following maternity leave and she believes today's celebration of International Women’s Day should encourage more women to consider a career in a rapidly-changing manufacturing and engineering industry.

“I’m managing a project that’s supporting an industry which has traditionally been male-dominated,” she said.

“When you hear ‘manufacturing and engineering’ you automatically have a perception that it’s a sector that doesn’t attract females.

“I think the reality is that there are tonnes of opportunities available in manufacturing and engineering for women and we need to dispel the myth that these are not attractive jobs because the world is changing.

“It’s becoming more digital and the skills sets that employers need are changing, which is the main point that the Made Smarter West Midlands programme focuses on.

“Manufacturing and engineering isn’t what is used to be – there needs to be more of an emphasis on bringing more women with those digital skills into these businesses.

“It’s important to make the industry appealing because it’s no longer just about hammers and nails in a factory. Digital transformation has changed the way these companies operate on a day-to-day basis.

“We want to drive home these messages about digital technology to attract more women to consider the job opportunities that are advertised because the previous images of what life was like at a manufacturing or engineering firm has shifted.”

One woman who personifies women working in the sector is Nat Macaulay, who bought JCM Fine Joinery in Halesowen in 2019 as a bespoke joinery business which evolved into a high-quality fine joinery and washroom cubicles company.

JCM Fine Joinery successfully applied for a £20,000 grant from Made Smarter to invest in a Universal Robot Cobot to meet their sanding needs.

Nat, the Managing Director at JCM Fine Joinery, said: “Women have some incredible skills to offer in manufacturing which is an industry that is thriving.

“I would say to women – have a look, be curious and don’t discount it; it isn’t dark satanic mills, there are a load of opportunities which require a wide range of skills.

“I love manufacturing. I previously had a military and a corporate career and I really enjoy seeing things that we make from our labour.

“I do my utmost to make sure we attract applications from women and recently we employed a female joiner from the KickStart programme, and there needs to be a little bit of realisation from recruiters for manufacturing businesses to cast their net wider instead of through traditional recruitment methods. We need to think outside the box.

“We have extended the tasks of our joiners in our workshops to combine them with a new role which doesn’t require experience.

“I listed a vacancy at 1pm on a Thursday and I had to switch it off at 7pm because we were inundated with applications including women and over-60s which shows there is an interest in joining the sector.”

Sophie Fenemore is Production Director at Herefordshire-based Apreco Ltd who design Air Pressure Stabilisers and Pressure Relief Vents that regulate airflow and pressure, as well as providing a maintenance service for them for their customers.

She joined the business in the administration department five years ago before working her way up to her current role.

“I think, because manufacturing/engineering has been a male-dominated industry for so long, that women aren’t always aware of how advances in technology have changed the opportunities that are available,” Sophie said.

“There’s no reason why it needs to be that way as women often bring other skills to businesses along with different perspectives. I love my job because every day is different.

“As Production Director, I oversee all the production processes from stock control to purchasing, making sure orders are completed on time and managing staff on the shop floor.

“When I first started in the production department at Apreco, I found it a little daunting because I was following in the footsteps of a man who had done the job for a long time but the majority of the staff here were supportive and accepting.

“With recent technological advances, there are now more opportunities than ever for women in manufacturing and engineering. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a physical role as there are also a lot of roles involving computer systems. There’s great scope to #EmbraceEquity.”