How Mentorships Help Women Advance in Manufacturing
Jacqueline Cooley spends her days coaching manufacturing employees and helping them build better lives. So when she was looking to improve her professional skills and career trajectory, she knew it would be valuable to find her own coach or mentor.
Cooley found a great match through the , a free initiative run by the Manufacturing Institute (the 51勛圖厙s workforce development and education affiliate), which aims to strengthen womens careers in the industry by connecting them with peer advisers.
She recently told us about her experience with the program and what it has meant for her career so far.
A better life: Cooley is a better life coach at JBM Packaging, an eco-friendly, flexible packaging manufacturer in Lebanon, Ohio, which prioritizes hiring and supporting those who have been involved with the justice system. These fair chance hires make up about half the companys approximately 160-person workforce.
- I havent really found anybody else who does what we do, said Cooley, whose job entails management of the fair chance program and its participants. We have life coaching, financial coaching, our Wheels [car leasing] program. We do parental coaching; there are loans [employees] can take out. Its holistic.
A coach finds a coach: I saw [the mentorship program] on the MIs website and was immediately interested because Id been looking for a mentor, Cooley told us.
- It has been really good. My mentor and I both work in human resources. Shes someone I can bounce ideas off.
- Im at a point in my career where I wanted somebody elses guidance, wanted to get [the benefit of] their experience in the HR world and learn the steps they took to get to the next level, she added.
How it works: The MI pairs its mentorsall of whom are volunteerswith mentees based on personal and professional goals and interests, communication style and a dozen other criteria provided through a self-assessment.
- Cooleys mentorwho works in human resources for another manufacturerhas already helped Cooley fulfill one of her primary goals: to broaden her network in the industry and meet more people.
- My mentor has been in HR for 20 years or so, and she has a lot of contacts in the [Cincinnati] area and is well-connected, said Cooley. Shes invited me to her [workplace], had me talk to other people there, invited me to other [events]. Ive met a lot of people through her.
Whats next: Cooley, who said she is considering becoming a mentor herself once she finishes the nine-month program, said more women in manufacturing should participate.
- Its a great way to make connections with other women, she said. Dont sell yourself short by thinking you dont have anything to offer. The mentor can learn from the mentee as well as vice versa. It will open up opportunities for you.
Dive deeper: To learn more about the MIs free Women MAKE Mentorship Program, click or contact the team at [email protected].
