Shaw’s Amanda Edwards Receives Manufacturing Institute STEP Ahead Award

The Manufacturing Institute—the workforce development and education partner of the National Association of Manufacturers—announced it will recognize Amanda Edwards, vice president of enterprise excellence at Shaw, with a STEP Ahead Award at its annual awards ceremony in November. The STEP Ahead Awards honor women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent all levels of the manufacturing industry from the factory floor to the C-suite. Edwards was recognized for her commitment to STEM education, inspiring future female engineers, and uplifting women throughout their manufacturing careers.

The STEP Women’s Initiative is the nation’s marquee program to close the gender gap in manufacturing. STEP works to foster a 21st-century manufacturing workforce by empowering and inspiring women in the manufacturing industry through recognition, research and leadership, as well as by motivating alumni to pay it forward by mentoring the next generation. The STEP Ahead Awards honor exceptional women in manufacturing and motivate them to mentor the next generation through an annual awards gala and alumnae programs. The stories of these women and the leadership they show will help inspire next-generation female leaders in manufacturing and support female talent already within the industry. In the program’s first five years, STEP Ahead Award winners impacted more than 300,000 individuals—from peers in the industry to school-age children.