In the Male-Dominated World of Manufacturing, Women (and Girls) Will Soon Be “Doing It for Themselves”

(Denver, CO) -- With all of the buzz surrounding provisions of the Fair Pay Act, there is still a need to address the lack of females hired in jobs traditionally held by men. In short, equal pay for equal work is critical, but getting women into jobs usually dominated by males is just as crucial.

Jobs such as machining, engineering, manufacturing, and welding offer opportunities to increase the income of households, particularly those headed by women, and pay 20-30 percent more than jobs generally dominated by females (e.g., clerical, administrative, etc.). They also often have better benefits, making them engines of self-sufficiency for women. Yet, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau, in 2009 women accounted for only 23 percent of drafters, 15 percent of industry production managers, 7 percent of machinists, and 4 percent of welders. 

It just makes sense that women will want and need to gain the skills necessary to make their entryway into these fields as obstacle free and empowering as possible.

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Project DIY Camper Caroline Pease Learning Machining

To invest in this interest, Community College of Denver (CCD) has created the “Project DIY” (Do It Yourself) camp for Denver’s high school females, which is a summer camp funded by the Women’s Foundation of Colorado that is focused on engaging 9th, 10th and 11th grade girls in hands-on advanced manufacturing experiences.

DPS students who are already participating in advanced manufacturing training/courses at the Career Education Center Early College and the Martin Luther King Jr. Early College have already applied.

Starting in June, Project DIY will hold two separate one-week camps with each designated school, providing 20-30 students with hands-on training and experience in advanced manufacturing fields. The two camps will be held at CCD’s Auraria Campus and Advanced Manufacturing Center during weeks of June 6-10 and June 13-17.

The overarching goal of the program is to capture the interest of these young girls as early as possible as a means of opening their eyes to the potential offered by manufacturing and other STEM industries while building their confidence and fostering a mindset that stresses gender equity.

“With the new Advanced Manufacturing Center and the college’s other female-friendly programs, CCD’s efforts to steer underrepresented females into these careers is very strategic,” said Rachel Pavelko, career services coordinator at CCD. “There is a demonstrated need for STEM-focused programs to encourage female student enrollment and retention in the STEM pipeline nationwide, but particularly in Colorado.”

Colorado forecasts a growth of 28 percent in STEM-related jobs in the state, so promoting completion of post-secondary certificates and degrees for women and girls in STEM-focused fields, including advanced manufacturing, is critical to Colorado’s economic prosperity.

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Project DIY Camper Nardos Learning Welding

The absence of women in advanced manufacturing is problematic because it excludes women’s perspectives in the design process and sends signals to young women that these careers are not open to them, diverting their talents from these fields and perpetuating a “boys only” perspective.

Most importantly, advanced manufacturing provides strong career pathways and earning potential. Creating a pipeline for girls and women in advanced manufacturing fields will help them fill much needed positions, create a more diverse workforce and leverage untapped talent, expertise and perspective.

“Getting girls into advanced manufacturing careers and into CCD’s programs is a natural step, and a forward-thinking solution that encourages young women to consider and hopefully pursue these opportunities,” said Pavelko.

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Project DIY Summer Camp