Part of the future of the foundry sector relies on its ability to encourage new professionals to join it, along with its capacity to enhance the technical and leadership skills of young people within its companies and organizations. In addition, a special focus can be set on women, who still represent a low percentage of the total labor force, even lower than the figures in Manufacturing as a whole. In a context where the pandemic crisis is accelerating some of the challenges for this sector, a true global cooperation to promote its image as an advanced and technological industry seems to be key for these actions. Talking with some top global female leaders allow us to shape the way our industry is being challenged and highlight some of the solutions that the international industry is developing to face the actual complexity.
Encouraging new talent and enhancing leadership skills of young women in Foundry
We have seen in the last decades an increase in the number of women leading foundry technical organizations or presiding their Boards, along with the ones directly involved in management of foundry companies. The adoption of tools like mentoring or the spread of new platforms to create effective networks among them seem also to be part of the change mechanism in some metalcasting producing countries. Despite this, women continue to be a low percentage of the global workforce in manufacturing industries, which is making companies reflect on how they can attract this segment as well as help the young foundry women to enhance their leadership skills and to advance in their careers in our industry.
About The World Foundry Organization
With over 30 member countries from all regions of the world, the World Foundry Organization (WFO) has access to a network of vital foundry knowledge that is gathered and shared to enhance the worldwide foundry industry.