Women MAKE Awards to Honor 130 Women for Excellence in Manufacturing
Washington, D.C.–The Manufacturing Institute, the workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers, announced the 130 recipients of the 2025 Women MAKE Awards, which honor women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers across all levels of the manufacturing industry, from the factory floor to the C-suite.
The manufacturing industry faces a critical challenge, with more than 400,000 job openings and an estimated 3.8 million positions needing to be filled by 2033—half of which could go unfilled due to a lack of skilled talent. While women make up about half of the U.S. labor force, they represent less than one-third of the manufacturing workforce. Bringing more women into the sector is essential to closing this gap and ensuring a strong, sustainable talent pipeline.
“With hundreds of thousands of open jobs in manufacturing, it has never been more critical to attract and retain top talent,” said Toyota Senior Vice President of Electric Vehicle Supply Susan Elkington. “This year’s Women Make Honorees and Emerging Leaders are breaking barriers, leading with innovation, and proving there is no limit to what they can achieve in our industry. By amplifying their stories and accomplishments, we inspire others to step into manufacturing and shape its future.”
Each year, 100 Honorees and 30 Emerging Leaders are selected out of thousands of nominations submitted to the MI by their peers for making significant contributions to their companies, communities and efforts to cultivate the next generation of skilled talent. Since its inception, the Women MAKE Awards have recognized roughly 1,700 outstanding individuals.
The Women MAKE Awards are part of the MI’s Women MAKE America initiative working to close the talent gap in manufacturing. A key goal of the WMA initiative is to pay it forward to engage the next generation while building role models young women need to envision themselves in modern manufacturing. The Awards celebrate outstanding female leaders at every level of manufacturing and highlight the critical importance of ensuring manufacturing remains an industry full of opportunity for anyone with talent, ambition and determination. Winners are selected for their outstanding leadership in their companies and communities.
“Every year, more women are finding opportunity and breaking barriers in manufacturing,” said MI President and Executive Director Carolyn Lee. “By elevating these outstanding women for their success, we are showing young women—and everyone else—that manufacturing is a rewarding industry with unlimited potential. At a time when there is such high demand for talent in our sector, these extraordinary women demonstrate the impactful careers that are available. By elevating role models that are paying it forward the Women MAKE Awards strengthens the future of the industry by inspiring the next generation.
The 2025 Women MAKE Awards will take place in Washington, D.C., on April 24, 2025. Read about the awardees and learn more about the awards gala.
– The Manufacturing Institute –
The Manufacturing Institute builds a resilient manufacturing workforce prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the future. Through implementing groundbreaking programs, convening industry leaders and conducting innovative research, the MI furthers individual opportunity, community prosperity and a more competitive manufacturing industry. As the 501(c)3 nonprofit workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers, the MI is a trusted adviser to manufacturers, equipping them with solutions to address the toughest workforce issues. For more information on the MI, please visit www.themanufacturinginstitute.org.