CME receives new federal funding will help more women enter the manufacturing sector

Peterborough, September 6, 2018

The Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister of Status of Women, today announced that Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) will receive $498,000 in federal funding for three-year project aiming at attracting and inspiring more women and youth to pursue a career in manufacturing.

As part of the project, CME will create regional networks to work with a national working group to attract more women into Canadian manufacturing professions and create more inclusive and diverse workplaces. The project will also develop a best practices toolkit for manufacturers to adopt and report on progress.

CME is pleased the government recognizes the critical importance of encouraging more women to join the manufacturing sector.

The CME 2016 Management Issues Survey indicated that nearly 40% of respondents are currently facing labour and/or skills shortages while 16% of businesses stated that ongoing shortages may force them to shift production and investment outside of Canada.

Canadian women make up 48% of our workforce, but only 28% of manufacturing jobs. Attracting women to the manufacturing sector is critical to helping these companies grow, filling job vacancies and replacing the existing aging workforce.

About the Women in Manufacturing Initiative:

Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters’ (CME) Women in Manufacturing Working Group was launched by National Board of Directors Chair Rhonda Barnet in March 2017. The Working Group was created in response to a key recommendation from CME’s Industrie 2030 initiative regarding the need to attract more women to manufacturing to help address chronic labour and skills shortages in the sector.

The Working Group includes women and men representing CME member companies from a wide range of sizes and industries. The Working Group is dedicated to supporting, promoting and inspiring women to pursue careers in manufacturing.

ABOUT CANADIAN MANUFACTURERS & EXPORTERS

Since 1871, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters has been helping manufacturers grow at home and, compete around the world. Our focus is to ensure manufacturers are recognized as engines for growth in the economy, with Canada acknowledged as both a global leader and innovator in advanced manufacturing and a global leader in exporting. CME is a member-driven association that directly represents more than 2,500 leading companies who account for an estimated 82 per cent of manufacturing output and 90 per cent of Canada’s exports.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Stefi Proulx

Director of Communications & Branding

Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters

(613) 292-6070

stefi.proulx@cme-mec.ca