Oakland Park, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/13/2016 -- According to manufacturing journalist Thomas R. Cutler, "The need to develop more women engineers and scientists remains a pivotal national concern -especially as ideas and entrepreneurship continue to drive the nation's and world's economic growth. To compete and create this new talent and technology means embracing the next generation of innovators, especially women, who remain underrepresented in the field despite the promise they bring to the industry. Manufacturing faces a serious skills gap. Part of this gap is the under-representation of women in the industry. Women make up about 47 percent of the labor force, but only 27 percent of the manufacturing workforce."
Two weeks ago President Obama hosted the 2016 White House Science Fair to honor students from a broad range of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) competitions from across the country.
Just last week The Manufacturing Institute honored 130 women from a wide range of companies at its 5th annual STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Production) Ahead Awards also in Washington, D.C. The Manufacturing Institute is promoting the role of women in manufacturing through the STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Production) Ahead initiative, which serves to mentor and recognize women while also leading research efforts tackling this important topic.
Cutler has been a champion in profiling the compelling stories of women in manufacturing encourage these dynamic and extraordinary women to share about the gender gap in manufacturing and the importance of encouraging girls of all ages to excel in STEM curriculum's across the country. Cutler added that, "Women are slowly but surely breaking the 'plant ceiling' and work hard to foster the development of female colleagues. When young women hear the success of ground-breaking excellence it encourages young girls to get excited about STEM and why technology and manufacturing are where the jobs are in the years ahead."
Cutler is cautiously optimistic that by 2020 the manufacturing workforce will be represented by 50% women; he's less encouraged that Board rooms will move as quickly to appoint women.
About TR Cutler, Inc.
TR Cutler, Inc. was founded seventeen years ago by Thomas R. Cutler. Cutler is the President and CEO of Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based, TR Cutler, Inc., (http://www.trcutlerinc.com), the largest manufacturing communication firm worldwide with four dozen industry experts and thought leaders on staff. Cutler maintains extraordinary relationships with clients, journalists, editors, economists, trendsetters, and key business leaders worldwide and has become a key resource for those writing about the manufacturing sector. Cutler founded the Manufacturing Media Consortium in 1999, which now has more than 6,000 global members including journalists, editors, publishers, and economists, worldwide writing about trends, industrial data, manufacturing case studies, material handling profiles, and robotics feature articles. Cutler works with thousands of media outlets to expand the coverage and importance of the manufacturing media coverage.
Cutler advocates for the importance of industrial communication noting, "Manufacturing firms make fantastic products worldwide, yet do a dismal job sharing the innovation, ingenuity, and importance of their engineering expertise. These are great stories about terrific companies and products and it is both an honor and privilege to share them with global readers."
Cutler has authored more than 6,000 articles for a wide range of manufacturing periodicals, industrial publications, and business journals each published in leading monthly trade magazines, B2B periodicals, blogs, and marquis publications globally. Cutler is the most published freelance industrial journalist worldwide, and more than three thousand industry leaders follow Cutler on Twitter daily at @thomasrcutler.