Do you know any women in the automotive industry?
And what about technical jobs in the Automotive Industry, such as mechanics, technicians, panel beaters or painters – do you know of any women working as that?
How many female mechanics are there? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women made up only 9% of those employed in the automotive repair and maintenance industry in 2020.
When looking across all fields, this industry is among those with the largest difference in the number of men versus women. There are over 176,022 auto mechanics currently employed in the United States. 3.6% of all auto mechanics are women, while 96.4% are men. In 2018, only 16 women (8%) were executives in the top 20 motor vehicles and parts companies in the Fortune Global 500.
According to Catalyst Knowledge Center information:
• Women occupy 26.7% of the positions in automotive manufacturing and vehicle equipment manufacturing industries.
• The participation rate for women in executive-level positions in vehicle manufacturing is 16.9%.
• Barely more than 1 in 5 dealership employees are women.
• Just 7.3% of those employed in automotive repair and maintenance positions are female.
Now, compare that with a very different statistic. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of new car buyers are women! It’s time to seek parity.
This trend is finally changing, although slowly. Car Painter Hege loves her occupation, and she is good at it. So good, that she is in fact the first female Norwegian Champion in Car Painting and came 5th in the World Championship in Brazil. And further north in Norway, 8 women work for the same dealership in Tromsø, and another 9 in their branch in Svolvær. Another dealership now has several female car painters employed, and the management’s feedback is that they are really happy with them and praise their level to detail and accuracy. And –women make the workplace much better overall and positively impacts the culture.
Some of the main dealerships in Norway have specific, strategic targets to change the statistics, for instance have Møller Mobility Group a target of one out of three Managing Directors to be female by 2025, and equal 50/50 balance between women and men amongst the top 50 top managers in their group.
Research show that girls are inspired by people similar to them, therefore, young female role models that they can identify with are important.
The importance of electrification is likely to help more women in the automotive industry. Today, more physical and digital tools are available, making physical strength less important, and working on a pc or using an ipad is part of everyday work for an automotive professional, or for instance when troubleshooting. The most important thing to succeed is genuine interest and a growth mindset, compared to a fixed mindset:
If people are treated with respect and given equal opportunities, it should not matter whether you are a man or woman, a more diverse and gender balanced workplace is generally a better place to work.
So, are you a female automotive professional who work as a
- Mechanic
- Technician
- Painter
- Panel Beater
And wants to:
- See the world?
- Live in one of the best countries in the world?
- Have improved work-life balance?
- Live in a safe and politically stable country?
- Grab a life changing opportunity?
Get in touch!
WiiSDA have Automotive jobs in Norway for professionals – BOTH men and women! Welcome to Norway.
