The progression of diversity through automation

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The progression of diversity through automation

10 Feb 2023

Maggie Glisan

Maggie Glisan covers consumer trends and emerging markets for the Commercial Baking media group. She spent the bulk of her 15-year career as the senior food editor at Better Homes and Gardens, where she was responsible for producing, writing and editing stories and developing recipes for the monthly magazine and special interest publications. Prior to that she worked as graphic designer and assistant art director in the Food Group at Better Homes and Gardens, where she took on an increasing role in content creation and editorial development.

KANSAS CITY, MO — Automation can be a big incentive for workers who might not have otherwise considered a career in food manufacturing. There comes greater opportunity for training and education … along with an increase in hourly wage.

This comes at a critical time when interest in manufacturing jobs is still in decline.

“One of the biggest long-term issues our industry is confronting is the perception problem,” said Carolyn Lee, president of The Manufacturing Institute, while speaking at Made in Connecticut: 2022 Manufacturing Summit. “Many Americans — usually parents — cling to the belief that the manufacturing industry is not a place where people can find satisfying, well-paying, lifelong careers … Our industry needs to overcome this perception and grow the supply of young workers.”

On the other hand, there is no such thing as a silver bullet.

Craig Souser, president and CEO of JLS Automation, said there are some significant systemic challenges facing manufacturers who want to diversify their workforce. He fears automation could accelerate workforce inequities — at least in the short term.

“I think the opportunity gap has been made worse in the short term because of automation, but I don’t think it has to stay that way,” Souser said.

According to “Diversity and the Age of Automation,” a recent study by Faethm, the adoption of AI and robotic technology accelerates across industries, disparities are likely to increase further.

“This is particularly true for Black and Hispanic employees, for women, and women of color in our focus industries, as they tend to occupy roles with repeatable, repetitive and lower-skilled tasks, which are prone to replacement by technology,” the study noted.

For successful DEI in the bakery, it’s important to see automation as a resource, not the solution. For example, Souser said diversifying the manufacturing workforce in an increasingly automated industry needs to start with improving diversity within higher education.

Women and ethnic minorities remain underrepresented in STEM fields. Based on 2019 data from the US Census Bureau, women make up just 15% of workers in engineering, and according to a 2019 study from Pew Research Center, Black workers make up only 9% of those in STEM-related fields.

Speaking to racial diversity specifically, underrepresentation can in large part be attributed to the lack of diversity in higher education in general.

By contrast, the underrepresentation of women in engineering is specifically tied to the field of study, not to the overall number of females seeking postsecondary degrees.

When it comes to diversifying the workforce in an increasingly automated industry, it’s important for companies to strategize within the context of these broader issues. For JLS, that means investing in scholarships specifically for people of color and recruiting from historically Black and women’s colleges and universities.

“We need to think about how we can create opportunities for all groups with higher paying jobs that become great careers,” Souser said.

Progress won’t happen overnight, and the return on an investment in education now won’t be realized until several years down the line. But all those small steps do matter and will add up over time to narrow the opportunity gap.

“At the end of the day, we need more technicians and engineers, so the demand is going up,” Souser continued. “We need more of the population to embrace that, and if we could pull folks from areas that haven’t been tapped, there is a huge opportunity.”

Both BEMA and ABA are working to help members address DEI and identify best practices. This is just one way companies can ensure they are making strides toward change.

As technology advances in robotics and automation across manufacturing industries, bakeries should keep DEI top of mind.

The radical shifts in the labor market will undoubtedly continue to impact day-to-day operations, and companies need to consider the intersection of all these moving parts to remain competitive.

“The more diverse you are as an organization, the smarter you are and the better decisions you make,” Souser said. “I’m embracing [DEI] because it’s going to make the company better. It’s going to make the industry better.”

This story has been adapted from the December | IA 2022 issue of Commercial Baking. Read the full story in the digital edition here.

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