WOMAN IN THE PROFESSION

[DAVEYGIRL]

Okay, I am a fixture/furniture engineer with a major corporation. It occured to me the other day during a business meeting (I am blonde so cut me some slack already) that i was the only woman in room. Thinking back to industry shows i was astounded to recall that i was one of few woman there in the profession. Hmmmm, So let me ask...how many out there are in an industrial woodworking setting?

[Lynn (Guest)]

I'm a physicist and am normally the only woman in the room. As far as woodworking, I am moving my shop next to a larger shop, and I am the only woman amongst 7 men in the shop. I think we are few and far between.
Lynn

[handi]

DaveyGirl,

Welcome to the forum. I sell CNC's to the trade, and I might talk to one woman in a hundred people. Women are few and far between in the industry, but more and more are taking the classes I teach at the local Woodcraft store.

Just my observations,

Ralph

[Flyinghorse]

LAST EDITED ON May-16-01 AT 09:35PM (CDT)

LAST EDITED ON May-16-01 AT 09:33?PM (CDT)

Hi DaveyGirl,
It sounds like you and I have similar experience if fixture/furniture engineer is what I think it is.

I am presently working for a minor corporation and am the only woman on the floor. Which is quite a contrast to my previous job where about 1/3 of the 60 employees were woman. Although only 2 other woman worked in the production area.

Glad you found this site. I would love to hear some details about your job, how you got where you are, if you'd care to share the info.

And Lynn, A physicist, All I can say is WOW that's way cool!!!

BJ Wilkinson

[Joanne (Guest)]

I don't work in an industrial woodworking setting, but I do belong to a woodworkers guild and work as an engineer in a very large high-tech manufacturing firm. In the guild there are 3-4 women out of approx. 100 members, and at work there are 10-15% engineers. This is higher than other manufacturing industries, where there may be only 2-5% women, ie, only one on staff.

Getting further off-topic, I studied materials and stress analysis in university, and it's been a big advantage in woodworking design! Especially selecting joints. It was a natural fit. I've been wanting to share this little joy but didn't have an audience, so sorry for the digression... I wonder if Lynn the physicist has similar thoughts? What about other technical professional woodworkers? Thanks for entertaining my thoughts.

Jo.

[edfan]

I don't even know what a fixture/furniture engineer is. Who dat?

Seriously, what is the focus of this occupation? You design ways to manufacture furniture?

[DAVEYGIRL]

GRAS AGUS SIOCHAINT
(grace and peace)

hmmm... a furniture/store fixture engineer has the luck task to make someones napkin drawing reality. Someone else, in most cases, thinks up these wonderful designs(nightmares) and then I make it a reality. Ever once in a while i get to design my own stuff. Tee hee, then of course i do all the other boring engineering stuff like create BOM/EBOM, route sheets and other production documentation that are needed on the floor of the plant...I also, Ralph, get to make cnc drawings :) and though i don't program the machine directly i do get to troubleshoot problems on occasion.

Someone asked how i got here??? Well backwards of course. I started out as a geometry teacher with a few hours in engineering and a keener interest in creating than in teaching. I wish i had gone to school for engineering in the first place.

Concering woman in industry...another thought. On a recent training session in Chicago I found that most of the woman were in "soft support roles" rather than direct manufacturing involvement. Sad to say that even in a man's world these positions rarely land higher jobs in the industry. This fact I learned while i taught engineering concepts to high school students in the days I spent teaching.

Thanks for all the response!!!
Lets keep on talkin
Jamie

[Flyinghorse]

LAST EDITED ON May-19-01 AT 07:41AM (CDT)

Yup, we do have similar experience. Although I have worked for smaller companies. Which means not only did I make the napkin drawing a reality, but when short handed, worked production too. I also did CNC drawings and programed the old Thermwood CNC routers we had. Another label for what I have done and still do at my present job would be Production Engineer. Which is useing materials, machines and personel as efficiently as possible.
Unfortunately, I have not been given the opertunity to use my skills and experience to the fullest at my present job. Hopefully this will change.

BJ Wilkinson

Spelling: please excuse.