Workforce News

Washington, D.C. – Following the industry’s June “Pledge for Action,” the National Association of Manufacturers brought industry leaders together to focus on recommending bold next steps manufacturers can take to increase equity and parity for underrepresented communities in America.

The Task Force on Closing the Opportunity Gap has put forth actions that will transform the industry workforce: By 2025, manufacturers commit to taking 50,000 tangible actions to increase equity and parity for underrepresented communities, creating 300,000 pathways to job opportunities for Black people and all people of color. In doing so, manufacturing will reflect the diversity of the overall U.S. workforce by 2030.

The Manufacturing Institute, the NAM’s workforce development and education partner, will collect individual commitments from companies to ensure that the goal of 50,000 actions is met by 2025 and that the industry reaches its diversity goals by 2030. NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons affirmed the commitment on behalf of the industry.

Timmons, Trane Technologies Chairman and CEO and NAM Board Chair Mike Lamach and Manufacturing Institute Executive Director Carolyn Lee made the following statements on this landmark initiative.

“Our industry plays an integral role in lifting up people and communities,” said Lamach, “and now we have a special obligation to stand with and support all people who face injustice. We must play a part in tearing down the persistent and pernicious structural barriers to opportunity in this country.”

“I am proud to make this commitment on behalf of the industry and thank Mike and the task force for their leadership. As manufacturers across America redouble our efforts to build more inclusive and equitable workplaces and communities, we will be the catalyst for even greater change,” said Timmons. “We can spark a chain reaction for equity—that makes our businesses more successful, our communities stronger and our nation one that truly guarantees ‘liberty and justice for all.’”

“Not only are manufacturers making a bold promise, but they are also committing to be held accountable,” said Lee. “The Manufacturing Institute will collect individual commitments from companies, support their efforts with key resources and track the industry’s progress in creating these opportunities and pathways over the coming years to ensure we reach our 2030 target.”

Background on the Task Force: On June 11, the NAM’s Executive Committee unanimously approved the 11-point “Pledge for Action” to advance justice, equality and opportunity for Black people and all people of color. The Task Force on Closing the Opportunity Gap’s commitment, announced today, follows through on elements of the “Pledge for Action.”

Members of the task force include the following:

• Task Force Chair: Mike Lamach, chairman and CEO, Trane Technologies and NAM Board chair
• Dev Ahuja, SVP and CFO, Novelis Inc.
• Alejandro Alvarez, SVP, chief production officer and sustainability officer, Brown-Forman Corporation
• Neil Chapman, senior vice president, Exxon Mobil Corporation
• Julie Copeland, CEO, Arbill
• Mark Cordova, president, Centennial Bolt, Inc.
• Chris Edwards, Co-CEO, Edward Marc Brands, Inc.
• Jim Fitterling, chairman and CEO, Dow Inc. and NAM Board vice chair
• Vicki Holt, president and CEO, Protolabs and NAM Small and Medium Manufacturers Group vice chair
• Frederick Humphries, corporate VP, U.S. government affairs, Microsoft Corporation
• Vimal Kapur, president and CEO, Honeywell Building Technologies
• Lawrence Kurzius, chairman, president and CEO, McCormick & Company, Inc.
• Mike McDermott, president, Pfizer global supply, Pfizer, Inc.
• Aneesa Muthana, president and CEO, Pioneer Service Inc.
• Chris Nielsen, EVP – product support and chief quality officer, Toyota Motor North America
• Quentin Roach, SVP – global supply chain and chief procurement officer, Mondelez International
• Kathy Wengel, EVP, chief global supply chain officer, Johnson & Johnson
• Chris Womack, president, external affairs, Southern Company

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The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12.1 million men and women, contributes $2.36 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for 63% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org