Women in Manufacturing strategy officially launched

This International Women’s Day, the Palaszczuk government launched the Women in Manufacturing (WIM) strategy, with the aim of attracting and retaining women in the industry, particularly focusing on increasing participation in traditionally male-dominated roles.

According to Sub-Group Policy and Project Lead Mel Ireland, women make up 29% of the manufacturing workforce; however, they are over-represented in administrative roles. The aim of this strategy is to open pathways “from the factory floor to the boardroom” to assist women in easily finding manufacturing jobs.

Manufacturing Minster Glenn Butcher said experts have identified four priority areas to help women get good manufacturing jobs in Queensland:

1. Supporting diversity, equity and inclusion in the manufacturing industry.
2. Building on our existing capabilities and skills to further women’s leadership and development.
3. Boosting women’s participation in VET (vocational education and training), building the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) pipeline and promoting advanced manufacturing capabilities throughout secondary and tertiary studies.
4. Celebrating and showcasing the women in Queensland’s manufacturing industry.

“Increasing women in manufacturing by promoting an inclusive culture makes employees feel they belong and contributes to a more diverse, robust industry,” Butcher said.

The Queensland Government’s Manufacturing Ministerial Council Sub-Group for Women contributed to the development of this strategy. Established in 2022, the sub-group brought together experts to provide advice on the WIM Strategy action.

“The Sub-Group for Women has been proud to contribute and shape this strategy, and we look forward to seeing it implemented and making a real improvement for women in manufacturing,” Ireland said.

The WIM strategy was formulated off the back of the Queensland Advanced Manufacturing 10-Year Roadmap and Action Plan. The strategy can be found here.

Image credit: iStock.com/shironosov