The Manufacturing Institute (MI), the workforce development and education partner of the National Association of Manufacturer, recently announced it will be recognizing Trasa Coffil, business process analyst at STIHL Inc. with a STEP Ahead Award.
The STEP Ahead Awards honor women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent all levels of the manufacturing industry from the factory floor to the C-suite.
On Nov. 4, the MI will recognize 130 recipients of the STEP Ahead Awards at a gala in Washington, D.C. The STEP Ahead Awards program will highlight each honoree’s story, including her leadership and accomplishments in manufacturing.
“I am honored to be recognized by the Manufacturing Institute for this award,” Coffil said. “I am driven by the principles of excellence and STIHL empowers me to make an impact on the manufacturing industry through both my work in the office and mentoring opportunities with young people. It’s a win-win.”
STIHL Inc. Vice President of Manufacturing and former STEP Ahead Award recipient, Lorraine Amesbury Holder says Coffil not only exemplifies STIHL excellence through critical thinking, problem-solving and teamwork but also applies those skills to mentoring the next generation of talent through STIHL’s annual Manufacturing Technology Summer Camp.
“Women in manufacturing proved themselves time and time again after the pandemic began, leading our industry in innovation and progress. We will honor these manufacturing leaders with the STEP Ahead Awards, elevating their success and granting them a platform to inspire the next generation of women manufacturing leaders,” said MI Executive Director Carolyn Lee. “The skills gap persisted throughout the pandemic, but our STEP Ahead honorees will help us fight it—they’ll play a crucial role in bringing more talented, motivated women into manufacturing. We’re confident these honorees will serve as living proof that women can dare to dream of a fulfilling, rewarding career in the industry.”
The STEP Women’s Initiative is the nation’s marquee program to close the gender gap in manufacturing. STEP works to foster a 21st-century manufacturing workforce by empowering and inspiring women in the manufacturing industry through recognition, research and leadership, as well as by motivating alumnae to pay it forward by mentoring the next generation.
The STEP Ahead Awards honor exceptional women in manufacturing and motivate them to mentor the next generation through an annual awards gala and alumnae programs. The stories of these women and the leadership they show will help inspire next-generation female leaders in manufacturing and support female talent already within the industry. In the program’s first five years, STEP Ahead Award winners impacted more than 300,000 individuals—from peers in the industry to school-age children.
The biggest challenge facing manufacturers continues to be the growing workforce crisis—the shortage of skilled talent to fill open positions. Manufacturers can close the skills gap by 50% simply by bringing 10% more women into the industry. Women account for about half of the U.S. labor force but represent less than one-third of the manufacturing workforce. STEP Ahead empowers and inspires women in the manufacturing industry. The goal is to build networks for women to have support in their industry and to elevate the role models that can motivate and mentor the next generation.
