Women in Manufacturing Receives $100,000 Grant from the GE Foundation

Funds to help support vital educational programming efforts

MINNEAPOLIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Women in Manufacturing (WiM) last night announced the receipt of a
$100,000 grant from the GE Foundation. The grant was announced at the
fifth annual WiM SUMMIT on Thursday, September 24, 2015 in front of a
crowd of nearly 300 professional women in the manufacturing sector.

“We are thrilled to receive this grant from the GE Foundation,” said
Women in Manufacturing President Allison Grealis. “The growth of the
manufacturing sector is vital to the American economy. As a result, this
grant from the GE Foundation is truly an investment in women’s education
and leadership and also in the strength of American manufacturing.”

WiM is the only national organization specifically dedicated to
supporting women in the manufacturing sector with year-round programming
and a national directory for women in the industry.

The GE Foundation grant will support important WiM initiatives including
regional and national programming and, in particular, new continuing
education opportunities for women in the manufacturing sector.

“This funding is critical for supporting our efforts to develop and
deliver high impact educational opportunities for women in
manufacturing,” said Grealis. “Many available programs for personal and
career advancement are simply too expensive for women working in small
and medium-sized manufacturing companies. But we know that these women –
and these companies – could really benefit from enhanced and
sector-specific skills development programs and leadership training.
This grant will make all the difference in allowing WiM to provide
effective and affordable educational opportunities to support the
advancement of women in manufacturing.”

“This grant to Women in Manufacturing is part of our Developing Skills
program,” said Kelli Wells, GE Foundation Executive Director, Education
and Skills. “At the GE Foundation, we are striving to strengthen the
economy by narrowing the gap between skills acquisition and the needs of
the labor market. By partnering with organizations like WiM we are
helping to support women and working to establish a leadership pipeline
within manufacturing.”

About WiM – Women in Manufacturing (WiM) is a more than
550-member-strong national organization dedicated to supporting,
promoting and inspiring women who have chosen a career in the
manufacturing industry. WiM encourages the engagement of women
who want to share perspectives, gain cutting-edge manufacturing
information, improve leadership and communication skills, participate in
sponsoring programs and network with industry peers. Follow WiM
at http://www.womeninmanufacturing.org/home
and on Twitter at @WomeninMfg.

About the GE Foundation – The GE Foundation, the philanthropic
organization of GE, is committed to building a world that works better.
We empower people by helping them build the skills they need to succeed
in a global economy. We equip communities with the technology and
capacity to improve access to better health and education. We elevate
ideas that are tackling the world’s toughest challenges to advance
economic development and improve lives. The GE Foundation is powered by
the generosity and talent of our employees, who have a strong commitment
to their communities. We are at work making the world work better.
Follow the GE Foundation at www.gefoundation.com
and on Twitter at @GE_Foundation.

Contacts

Women in Manufacturing (WiM)
Kristin Moore, 216-503-5700
kmoore@womeninmfg.org