Canterbury, New Zealand Success

Canterbury New Zealand is rebuilding from a massive earthquake in 2010. The government of New Zealand has made it a priority to get women into these jobs. Political will has made it happen. 2400 women working on the rebuild equal 17.8% of the workforce! See it here.

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/women-quitting-the-office-to-join-canterbury-rebuild-q14037

Event Recap: "Paving the Way for Women in Construction" Webinar

"Paving the Way for Women in Construction: Creating Systems and Supports that Work," an October 1, 2014 webinar hosted by the United States Department of Labor Women's Bureau, the Institute for Women's Policy Research, the National Women's Law Center, Wider Opportunities for Women, and Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. "explored ways to increase women's participation, retention, and success in the construction industry." The webinar included a discussion of two new reports, the Institute for Women's Policy Research's results from a survey of tradeswomen and the National Women's Law Center's report on challenges and pathways for women to access higher-paying jobs, as well as best practices in recruitment, training, retention, and technical assistance regarding increasing women's representation in the construction workforce.

For more information about this recent webinar, visit www.dol.gov/wb/.

Upcoming Event: WOW Book Talk Series with Dr. Mary Gatta - 10/9/14, 1-3pm

As part of their 50th Anniversary Book Talk Series, Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW) will host an event featuring new CEO Amanda Andere and Dr. Mary Gatta, who will discuss her new book, All I Want Is a Job! Unemployed Women Navigating the Public Workforce System.

Thursday, October 9th, 1-3pm

Jobs for the Future
88 Broad St, 8th Floor Conference Room

Boston, MA 02110 

For more information, check out the event flyer. To RSVP, visit WOW online.

Repost: Govt to double women at construction sites

A "joint action plan" to increase women's participation in the construction workforce was recently adopted by a small group of public-private partners in Japan. The group of general contractors, contractors associations, and government agencies has committed to doubling the number of women in their construction industry by adding 100,000 women by 2019 (Jiji Press, 24 August 2014)!

Visit http://the-japan-news.com/ to read the article.

Repost: Women in Trades - An Apprenticeship Success Story

Oregon Tradeswomen Inc. (OTI) Executive Director Connie Ashbrook's recent post on the USDOL blog provides a concrete narrative of both the challenges that women face in entering the construction trades and the need for Registered Apprenticeship programs to focus on recruiting women. Ashbrook rightly states,

"Although many people believe it is women’s physical abilities that can keep them from succeeding in a trades career, the most challenging obstacle women have to overcome in becoming an apprentice is a lack of knowledge about these careers and how to successfully apply for apprenticeship" (Ashbrook, 17 July 2014).

Programs like OTI's pre-apprenticeship program continue to serve as an integral link for women to access good-paying jobs in the building trades. Read more about OTI and the success of their pre-apprentice Deawendoe “Dee” St. Martin at http://social.dol.gov/blog/.

Repost: Vermont Works for Women Report, "Enough Said"

"Women now provide almost 50% of the nation’s labor – and 36% of an average family’s income. Addressing women’s poverty isn't just a women’s issue – it’s an economic one (Vermont Works for Women)." This need – in our community and among individual women and their families – fuels the Policy Group on Tradeswomen Issues' mission to increase access for women to good-paying careers in the construction trades. The report below explores concerns young women have about their access to education, work, and careers that enable economic self-sufficiency.

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Young Women Talk About School, Work, and Becoming Adults:
Why We Should Listen and What We Can Do

Many young women in Vermont describe themselves as ill-equipped and under-prepared for the challenges of school, work, career, economic independence, and adulthood—absolutes that await them in the not-too-distant future. Reflecting upon their educational experiences and job histories in nine listening sessions and in written surveys, two hundred young women, ages 15-25 from Brattleboro to St. Johnsbury, the majority from families of limited financial means, articulated a host of concerns:

• minimal exposure to a broad range of careers and professional female role models
• few personal allies to provide support
• lack of practical skills related to personal finance
• fears around how to live independently
• relational aggression among their peers
• limited expectations for work that taps into talent and passion

While Vermont should be proud of its high school graduation rate – at 91.4% the highest in the country – a number of signs indicate that we have more to do to ensure that the next generation is ready for college and/or work.

Download the summary or the full report, which examines how well we’re preparing young women, who are twice as likely to live in poverty as their male counterparts, to make informed, deliberate choices about education and work and to shoulder the financial responsibilities of adulthood.

For more information, visit vtworksforwomen.org.