First, I want to thank the GEARS readers. Due to your positive response, we have been invited back to feature more Amazing Women in Automotive articles, including our female profile pieces. Your support for women in the industry inspires us to continue our mission of recruitment, retention, and support of women in our trade.
Thank you also to ATRA and GEARS Magazine for this opportunity. It has helped expose the need for more ladies to seek careers in automotive paths. It has also brought in new AWiA members – ladies who have found community and support through our services.
I’m sure many of you saw the AWiA articles featuring Women Rebuilders and thought, who is AWiA, and where did they come from? Our non-profit organization seeks to help our industry increase the number of females in automotive from the current level of 2% to a much more significant percentage. We see the opportunity for women in roles that include working on cars and performing various jobs in repair shops or supplier spaces as a more ordinary occurrence. We came forth from an idea. An idea from our founder, who saw a need for women in the industry desiring support and connection.
We focus on 3 main things mentioned earlier, the first of which was recruiting women to our industry by collaborating with the schools, the military, or any other association that puts us in front of females looking for satisfying careers. We can show them how other ladies succeeded through mentorship and much more, providing evidence that we have a place for them.
Retention is the second focus, concentrating on current female students and newly hired females in automotive positions. We lose so many young ladies due to a lack of a sense of belonging and community. For example, most female builders featured in last year’s articles had no idea there were other female transmission builders. You could hear the shock and awe after being told an article series was being developed around them. I even saw some tears upon reading their story for the first time. They overcame the challenges they faced trying to make it in nontraditional careers for women. It takes some real tenacity and perseverance.
The final piece to our work is support. Supporting women in the industry through every stage. Support is vital whether they’re new to the industry or have many years already behind them. We do this through education, community, and by providing a safe space to discuss their unique experiences and obstacles to success.
AWiA desires to change not only the industry’s perception of women in the industry but even women’s self-perception of their place in the industry. Since we started in 2020, we’ve had one complaint. The complaint was about a giveaway item we offered at a booth at one of the seminars we attended. A young woman, very bright, felt the travel-size sewing kit was offensive. Summarizing her comment, she said she wasn’t there to sew for her male co-workers; she was their equal. I can’t entirely agree; we are not equal. We must overcome the obstacles that exist. I also would not encourage her to share her sewing kit.
The traits that traditionally are associated with women, for example, being nurturing, caring, empathetic, and good listeners, are just some of the contributions they provide that our industry is missing. Consumers generally describe our industry as dishonest and report feeling uneasy about car repairs. An owner or service writer with these qualities can overcome many concerns, especially for female consumers. Shops with women in their companies describe them as an integral part of their operation. A woman does not have to become more like a man to qualify for a position in automotive. It’s okay to love pink, it’s okay to cook, it’s okay to be a mom, and yes, it’s even okay to sew.
To learn more about the benefits of employing women in your shop, visit the Women’s Roundtable at the 2023 Powertrain Expo in Nashville. To find out more about AWiA, become a member, or support us by donating to the non-profit and our scholarship fund, email me at Tiffany@Amazingwia.com.
