Women in manufacturing: A fresh look at an enduring issue
Read time: 2 mins Added: 09/05/2025
Eleanor Baker, Women Entrepreneur Lead, considers why manufacturing remains an industry with a notable lack of gender diversity.
I last wrote about the topic of women in manufacturing at the start of 2024, and many of the issues that I highlighted then are still just as relevant today.
A new report by compliance specialist Skillcast finds that manufacturing is the second least gender inclusive industry in the UK; only the construction sector employs fewer women in 2025. And this at a time when manufacturers have 55,000 vacancies to fill, with three quarters of firms saying skills shortages are their biggest barrier to growth.
Everybody’s problem
It’s important because inclusion has a real impact on manufacturers’ potential and the UK’s prosperity. There’s evidence that companies that are more inclusive perform better and that innovation improves if you have a more diverse team.
And this isn’t a problem for women to solve, it’s everybody's problem. At Bank of Scotland, we recognise we have a role to play. We have partnered with the MTC since 2015, committing a total £15 million in sponsorship to help address the broader skills gap faced in the sector. The proportion of females in its apprenticeship programme is currently 13%; above the national average of 10% for engineering apprenticeships. Providing opportunities for women to train and upskill, enables a diverse pool of talent to enter the sector.
Creating an inclusive industry
The presence of more senior women in manufacturing firms can also lead to more inclusive policies. But few women are rising to board level because the sector appears to have a high drop-out rate. The University of Cambridge report Women in UK Manufacturing shows that the proportion of women working in manufacturing falls by a third between the ages of 24 and 50.
Not only that, the gender pay gap increases from 5% for 22-29-year-olds to 20% in the 50-59-year-old age bracket, demonstrating the lack of women in senior positions. This acts as a serious disincentive for women to pursue long-term careers in manufacturing, or to rejoin the workforce after taking on caring responsibilities, for example. And it leads to scarcity of female role models for young women who might be considering entering the industry. So, it appears that women must be supported to reach and retain the positions of power.
But all the responsibility doesn’t rest with employers, who are under huge pressure at the moment. To achieve lasting change, we must all work together to transform British manufacturing.