Training women for the workforce

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CNH India’s first female apprentices on the shop floor are helping improve production levels and change attitudes about what women can do

The future for CNH is the inclusion of women at all levels and right now everybody is working toward that.

“The future for CNH is the inclusion of women at all levels and right now everybody is working toward that,” says Bharti Bist, CNH’s Diversity & Inclusion Head for APAC.

An important aspect of this initiative is getting more women on to the shop floor in production roles. To this end, CNH India has set a target that women should make up 8 percent of apprentices by the end of 2024. In the nine months since its adoption, CNH has already recruited 49 female apprentices, equal to 5 percent.

Fourteen of these apprentices are the first women to work on the shop floor at the state-of-the-art tractor plant in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. But that’s not the only notable achievement. They are working on the Company’s second all-female production line – the other is at Pithampur, India, where they make construction equipment.

In the case of the apprenticeships, however, it wasn’t just about offering the opportunity to women. According to Bist, management had to ensure the environment was right for all workers and put in the right kind of support.

“You have to have the right facilities, take care of safety, and there are cultural challenges, too. We had to make sure there were female washrooms nearby, that the women had HR Champions to talk to about any concerns, and that they were safe travelling to and from the plant.”

According to Bist, management had to ensure the environment was right fo all workers and put in the right kind of support.

From left to right: Ajaz Ahmad, HR site manager, Bharti Bist, Diversity & Inclusion Head for APAC and Narinder Mittal, CNH APAC region Agriculture Industrial Operations and India Country Manager, shown with the all-women assembly line apprentices at Greater Noida, India.

CNH is committed to making improvements step by step to help the women apprentices grow. And it’s working.

Improved productivity

This is not just about giving women the opportunity to get permanent jobs. It’s about making CNH more effective and efficient. Drawing from its own experience, CNH is committed to making improvements step by step to help the women apprentices grow. And it’s working. The fourteen female apprentices — aged between twenty and 23 — receive the same one-year training and pay as male apprentices. Not only have they increased productivity, but they have also reduced the number of faults.

“Some people had wondered if there would be a productivity loss from an all-women line. But production increased. Before it was forty or 45 tractors a day and now it’s 57,” says Aishwarya Shukla, one of the apprentices.

Their practice of keeping their workstations well-organized and tidy has also helped. “It’s easier to find things we need,” she says.

Her comment highlights another positive aspect of the all-female production line — its influence on their male colleagues. “The men were impressed with the way the women engross themselves in the job and have become more motivated and attentive,” says Ajaz Ahmad, HR site manager at the plant. As a result, he adds, they too are making fewer mistakes, leading to fewer defects.

Some people had wondered if there would be a productivity loss from an all-women line. But production increased. Before it was forty or 45 tractors a day and now it’s 57.

Some of the women apprentices on the shop floor at CNH's Greater Noida plant in India.

We didn’t want to limit recruitment to the local area, and making parents feel comfortable about their daughters leaving home was a big issue

Overcoming cultural barriers

For the women, many of whom lived far from the plant, the challenges of taking up the apprenticeships weren’t just to be found in the workplace. In many parts of India girls are not sent far from home to work, so the HR team had to reach out to parents to convince them that this opportunity at CNH India would empower their daughters.

“We didn’t want to limit recruitment to the local area, and making parents feel comfortable about their daughters leaving home was a big issue,” recalls Bist. The solution included visiting the families of potential apprentices, inviting them to the plant and making sure the women could always get to their accommodation safely by scheduling them on day shifts from 6am to 2.30pm.

The families were also concerned about whether the women could manage the work — the tractors are big and many of the parts are heavy. In response, the Company adapted some processes, such as semi-automating the handling of tires.

The Company’s objective is to work out how women can best do a task. This learning can empower the entire Company.

“We don’t feel there’s anything men can do that we aren’t able to do,” says Ragini Kumari, another apprentice.

Left: Bharti Bist, Diversity & Inclusion Head for APAC. Right: Narinder Mittal, President India at CNH, shown with the all-women assembly line apprentices at Greater Noida, India.

Narinder Mittal, President India at CNH, explains: “The decision to establish an all-women assembly line at the Greater Noida tractor plant was made after thorough consideration of various factors.

"Firstly, it aligns with our commitment to diversity and inclusion, recognizing the value of tapping into a diverse talent pool.

"Secondly, research suggests that gender-diverse teams often lead to enhanced creativity, problem-solving, and innovation, which are crucial for staying competitive in the industry.

"Moreover, empowering women in traditionally male-dominated sectors not only fosters societal progress but also serves as a strategic business move, ensuring a broader range of perspectives and skill sets within our workforce.

"This initiative highlights our commitment to fostering sustainable growth."

Research suggests that gender-diverse teams often lead to enhanced creativity, problem-solving, and innovation, which are crucial for staying competitive in the industry.

Left: Aishwarya Shukla. Right: Ragini Kumari.

Driving generational change Both Kumari and Shukla are science graduates and love their jobs. “We will be certified when we finish our apprenticeship and the job prospects are bright. We’ll be able to look after ourselves and our families and move on to the next step in life,” says Kumari.

They also see themselves as role models for others. Shukla, for example, is proud she’s been able to guide her younger brother and sister, aged 12 and 18, who still live at home. “They are studying accordingly and will pick up skills and jobs to make a better life for themselves,” she says.

This example for younger generations is vital if CNH is to achieve its target of women making up 8 percent of apprentices. Meanwhile, Mittal confirms that the Company is looking at introducing more women onto production lines — they are already working on three — with a view to initiating mixed production lines with both male and female employees in future. Bist is keen to see a similar approach taken to recruiting more women to other roles. “In some other functions, like sales and commercial as a whole, we have very limited female employees. So we’re looking at how to apply this approach there,” she says.

I was a science graduate, but I wasn’t a technical person,” she admits. Yet this September, she will retire from the Company, as a business manager of one of the largest dealerships in India.

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