MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Women in Manufacturing (WiM) last night announced the receipt of a $100,000 grant from the GE Foundation. The grant was announced at the fifth annual WiM SUMMIT on Thursday, September 24, 2015 in front of a crowd of nearly 300 professional women in the manufacturing sector.
“We are thrilled to receive this grant from the GE Foundation,” said Women in Manufacturing President Allison Grealis. “The growth of the manufacturing sector is vital to the American economy. As a result, this grant from the GE Foundation is truly an investment in women’s education and leadership and also in the strength of American manufacturing.”
WiM is the only national organization specifically dedicated to supporting women in the manufacturing sector with year-round programming and a national directory for women in the industry.
The GE Foundation grant will support important WiM initiatives including regional and national programming and, in particular, new continuing education opportunities for women in the manufacturing sector.
“This funding is critical for supporting our efforts to develop and deliver high impact educational opportunities for women in manufacturing,” said Grealis. “Many available programs for personal and career advancement are simply too expensive for women working in small and medium-sized manufacturing companies. But we know that these women – and these companies – could really benefit from enhanced and sector-specific skills development programs and leadership training. This grant will make all the difference in allowing WiM to provide effective and affordable educational opportunities to support the advancement of women in manufacturing.”
“This grant to Women in Manufacturing is part of our Developing Skills program,” said Kelli Wells, GE Foundation Executive Director, Education and Skills. “At the GE Foundation, we are striving to strengthen the economy by narrowing the gap between skills acquisition and the needs of the labor market. By partnering with organizations like WiM we are helping to support women and working to establish a leadership pipeline within manufacturing.”
About WiM – Women in Manufacturing (WiM) is a more than 550-member-strong national organization dedicated to supporting, promoting and inspiring women who have chosen a career in the manufacturing industry. WiM encourages the engagement of women who want to share perspectives, gain cutting-edge manufacturing information, improve leadership and communication skills, participate in sponsoring programs and network with industry peers. Follow WiM at http://www.womeninmanufacturing.org/home and on Twitter at @WomeninMfg.
About the GE Foundation - The GE Foundation, the philanthropic organization of GE, is committed to building a world that works better. We empower people by helping them build the skills they need to succeed in a global economy. We equip communities with the technology and capacity to improve access to better health and education. We elevate ideas that are tackling the world’s toughest challenges to advance economic development and improve lives. The GE Foundation is powered by the generosity and talent of our employees, who have a strong commitment to their communities. We are at work making the world work better. Follow the GE Foundation at www.gefoundation.com and on Twitter at @GE_Foundation.
