Research Report Research-to-Action Overview
In today’s labor market, manufacturers, like many employers, recognize that recruiting and retaining workers often means rethinking diversity considerations and identifying new talent pools. A new WorkRise-funded report, Advancing Economic Mobility in Manufacturing: Results from A Manufacturing Training Program on Racial Diversity in the Sector, presents findings from the Advancing Economic Mobility in Manufacturing (AEMM) pilot program, which aimed to understand and reduce racial disparities in job placements and wages within a specific, credential-based training program meant to address a local talent shortage in Ohio. With this pilot, researchers tested an intervention that provides career training and wraparound services for those underrepresented in manufacturing, including Black/African Americans workers, formerly incarcerated people, and unemployed young people ages 18 to 24.
The AEMM project team consisted of the Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network (MAGNET), with research partners Towards Employment, PolicyBridge, and The New Growth Group (New Growth). The following recommendations describe how employers, workforce practitioners, industry sector partners, and policymakers can support underrepresented populations entering the manufacturing workforce and securing high quality jobs.
WorkRise staff have synthesized the report’s findings and recommendations to inform next steps for employers, workforce developers, policymakers, and funders to change policy and practice.
This brief was corrected on December 18, 2024. The description of the AEMM pilot program was
updated to clarify that it was designed for groups underrepresented in manufacturing, including
Black/African American workers, formerly incarcerated people, and unemployed young people ages 18
to 24.