Repost: Manufacturing and Women

A group of federal, state, educational, community, and industry leaders recently gathered at The New Haven Connecticut Chamber of Commerce for "a roundtable discussion focused on the need for more women business owners and more women in advanced manufacturing positions" (USDOL, 4 Sept. 2014). Congratulations to Women's Bureau regional administrator Jacqueline Cooke and the other leaders on their continued efforts to recruit and retain women in non-traditional occupations.

Visit http://www.dol.gov to read the full article in the USDOL newsletter.

Save the Date: 9/20/13 USDOL Women's Bureau & The Construction Institute Will Host "Engaging Women for STEM, Non-Traditional, and Green Careers"

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WOMEN’S BUREAU & THE CONSTRUCTION INSTITUTE INVITES YOU TO AN IMPORTANT ROUNDTABLE: ENGAGING WOMEN FOR STEM, NON-TRADITIONAL, AND GREEN CAREERS 

The roundtable will bring together leaders in the Metro Boston area to discuss potential pathways for women to become involved in careers related to science, technology, math, and engineering (STEM). This discussion will also draw on ideas for engaging women in green and non-traditional careers. Some of the topic questions to be considered are:

1. How can women qualify for STEM, Non-Traditional, and Green Careers? 
2. What opportunities are available for women in “green” jobs and STEM? 
3. How can we help women transition from traditional occupations to non-traditional ones? 

DATE: Tuesday, September 20, 2013

TIME: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

WHERE: Sheet Metal Workers Training Center, 1181 Adams St. Dorchester 

Attendance is free but registration is required. Space limited to 25.

RSVP: To register, please send an e-mail to Rizzolo.Angela@dol.gov by close of business hours on September 18 and include your name, organization, and telephone number.

For questions, please call: Angela Rizzolo @ 617-565-1988.

Our special thanks to the Sheet Metal Workers Training Center for co-hosting this roundtable.

Repost: NSTAR Women in Non-Traditional Careers Event

Celebrate Labor History Month with Tradeswomen Coloring Books

To paraphrase Boston Councilwoman Ayanna Pressley, "In order for children to reach their full potential, they have to see it's possible". Women working in non-traditional/male-dominated trades is represented in this coloring book for youngsters.

Published in 1986, this book contains illustrations children can color as they read about the women working in trades such as plumbing, firefighting, and electrical work in three languages.







Retrieved from: http://www.laborarts.org/custom/color/color.htm


See this book on Amazon

If I Had A Hammer

NATIONAL

If I Had A Hammer

BY

JANE LATOUR

 MARCH 30, 2012

ISSUE #

175

Women are part of almost every blue-collar workplace. They’re behind the scenes, alongside the men. They’re installing fiber optics for a telecom company, fixing Con Edison equipment in the “manholes,” behind the stage providing sound and lighting for Broadway shows, and on construction sites around the city. Almost five decades after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with its Title VII provisions for equal employment opportunity, and subsequent struggles through which women won the right to enter any apprentice program for the skilled trades — to become carpenters, electricians, painters and plumbers or join the fire department — they’re on the job. But their numbers are low, and consequently they remain invisible. And that’s a problem.

As long as women make up a statistically insignificant proportion of the blue-collar workforce, they’re all too often viewed as what groundbreaking carpenter Irene Soloway called “the creature with two heads.” As long as they are a tiny minority on any job, harassment and discrimination will continue. In the late 1960s and 1970s, the pioneers challenged stereotypes and broke barriers on the far frontier of feminism. Yet the persistence of discrimination leads directly to problems of recruitment and retention — posing a Catch-22 for women working in skilled blue-collar jobs. For Women’s History Month, I surveyed some of the women working in these jobs and some who paved the way for others. These firsthand reports tell us what improvements have been made and what still needs to change in order to extend the gains of the women’s movement to the working class.

Female firefighters

While the New York City Fire Department has made great strides since the days of litigating, demonstrating and other forms of outright opposition to females in the ranks, there are currently only 28 female firefighters in a force of more than 11,000. The good news is that more than 2,600 women have applied to take the test to become a firefighter, according to Regina Wilson, president of United Women Firefighters.

Firefighter JoAnn Jacobs was among the first group of 40 women to enter the department in 1982, and she has recruited, mentored and trained women in preparation for prior tests. “I think that the presence of women firefighters on TV shows and in commercials makes a difference,” she said. “It’s a visual cue to women. You only need one for a woman to see something that gets her thinking: I can do that, too. They’ve grown up seeing this. Young women are so much more physical and strong. And then their husbands and boyfriends are encouraging them. Men see women doing kick boxing and other things that are outside the conventional female stereotypes. Women have stepped out of the traditional roles and images and these things are all making a difference.”

Then again, stereotypes endure, as Eileen Sullivan, a pioneering tractor-trailer driver, can attest. “This woman cab driver assured me that she was qualified to drive because she was a laid-off tractor-trailer driver. I assured her I would be fine with her driving but was disappointed that she felt the need to point it out — until she mentioned how many women refused to drive with her and would order another cab,” she said.

Tile setter Angela Olszewski offers another perspective — about life inside her former union, Local 7, Bricklayers. “The union’s public relations apparatus regularly exploited my intelligence, aptitude and skills,” Olszewski recalled. “I appeared in union videos, newsletters and performed installation demonstrations. Ironically, at the same time my union appointed me to their Women’s Task Force in 2001, I was also begging my employer, the local, and my apprentice coordinator to be trained in the higher skill sets of my craft. In my former union, women are nothing more than a novelty and are not taken seriously.”

Girls Get Up-Close Career View At Boston Area School Project

03/26/2012

By Johanna Knapschaefer in Dedham

Text size: A A

Courtesy of Nitsch Engineers

Engineer Christine Breen boosts industry's prospects to students, ages 10 to 18.

Avery Elementary School, an $18-million project in Dedham, Mass., was the site on March 14 for a hands-on classroom in which 150 middle- and high school girls learned how engineering directly affects their world and about the potential for a career in the industry. In the annual program sponsored by Nitsch Engineering, female professionals shared their passion for the work and the challenges of doing technical jobs that involve teamwork.

This year's event—co-sponsored by Consigli Construction, WSP Flack + Kurtz, GEI Consultants and the Engineers Design Group—showed students how different engineering skills are applied inside and outside a building, including, for example, traffic flow and stormwater management, says Nitsch President Judith Nitsch. Jennifer Rand, a Consigli assistant project manager, told the girls about green building and how many materials for the project—the state's first LEED Gold elementary school—had to come from within 500 miles of the site.

Nitsch notes the students' curiosity and enthusiasm, adding that past attendees have gone on to study engineering at MIT, Boston University and the U.S. Naval Academy, among other top schools.

"It was cool talking to people and asking questions about watershed management," says Jenna Glen Wixson, 13, of Kittery, Maine. "I don't know what I want to do in the future, but now I know something about engineering when I didn't really know anything before."



Retrieved from: http://enr.construction.com/business_management/workforce/2012/0326-Girls-Get-Up-Close-Career-View-At-Boston-Area-School-Project-.asp

Women Get Skills to Break Into Traditional Men’s Trades

Retrieved from: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/2012/01/women-get-skills-to-break-into-traditional-mens-trades/

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Image credit: Scott Shulman/ABC

In the shadow of a Long Beach, Calif., power plant, a dozen women step into tool belts, don hard hats and learn  how to carry a bucket of cement up a flight of stairs to get a leg up on trades usually dominated by men.

According to a 2009 Department of Labor report, while gender equality has made headway in the executive ranks — a quarter of CEOs are women — less than 1 percent of 77,000 U.S. ironworkers and steelworkers are female.

Sherron Ballard, 55, used to be a real estate agent — now she wants to work in construction.

Ballard told ABC News that she was making the job switch for the higher income, which would help her raise her daughter.

She is participating in a grueling 10-week program by Women in Non Traditional Employment Roles, or Winter. The Los Angeles group, in its 15th year, trains women to become plumbers, electricians and ironworkers — well-paid, blue-collar occupations previously dominated by men.

At one California construction site, 250 men worked alongside two females.

Winter’s goal is to tip that balance. The women earn safety certificates, learn about timekeeping, what to wear on construction sites and how to handle discrimination.

“When they go out there for their first job, a lot of people are gonna look at them and say: ‘Why aren’t you home? What are you doing here? Are you sure you’re in the right place?’ And they need to learn how to brush it off and continue on with their work,” said Berta Campos, a program instructor. “I think we need more women in order for men to change their mind and we have to prove them wrong.”

“Women have to go out to work,” said Donna Williamson, who recently graduated from the program. “I have a child. I have to support him.”

Williamson, a 41-year-old single mother, used to make minimum wage selling skateboards in a bike shop. Now she’s an apprentice ironworker making $28 an hour, and her wages will are sure to increase as she progresses in her career.

“I used to drive around and I’d look at the guys on the beams, on the high-rises, and it’s one of those intriguing things,” she said. “There are not a whole lot of women in the construction field. At the end of the day, you are dirty, you are sweating, you don’t smell the greatest and that’s fine with me.”

“I love my job,” Williamson said. “If I can do it, they [women] can do it. And I’m only 5’2.”

Film: Raising the Roof- Home Jane

Have you watched this short video about an all-women property maintenance crew of tradeswomen? (http://blip.tv/visionontv/raising-the-roof-part-3-of-8-home-jane-759727)

Raising the Roof - Part 3 of 8 - Home Jane

a film by Anne-Marie Sweeney

This video was produced for JIVE at Oxford's Women Training (OWT)- a JIVE Partner at Oxford & Cherwell Valley College. JIVE is a program that runs mentoring and recruitment for getting women and girls engaged with non-traditional professions. According to Europe's analog of the EEOC, JIVE brings together regional and federal systems that support a diverse workforce such as: training centers, institutions of education, equal opportunity entities, and employers. JIVE has some transnational connections with Germany, France, Finland, and Denmark.

Can't see the link to the video? http://blip.tv/visionontv/raising-the-roof-part-3-of-8-home-jane-759727

On-the-Job Training: Federal Highway Administration Needs to Strengthen Program Assessment

Retrieved from:

http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-703

On-the-Job Training: Federal Highway Administration Needs to Strengthen Program Assessment

GAO-11-703 September 7, 2011

Highlights Page (PDF)   Full Report (PDF, 51 pages)   Accessible Text   Recommendations (HTML)

Summary The Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) on-the-job training program-- a relatively small part of the federal aid highway program--requires states to implement job training programs to provide traditionally underrepresented groups with opportunities in highway construction. To increase the effectiveness of state job training programs, FHWA grants up to $10 million annually for supportive services, such as job placement assistance. This report examines the extent to which (1) FHWA's job training program enhances training and career opportunities for these groups, (2) FHWA oversees the job training programs, and (3) supportive services provide assistance to these programs. To address these topics GAO reviewed federal legislation, good management practices identified in prior GAO reports, FHWA documents, and proposals and reports submitted by states. GAO conducted an in-depth examination of these efforts in four states, and interviewed a cross-section of FHWA staff, state officials, and industry groups. It is unclear the extent to which FHWA's on-the-job training program enables women, minorities, and economically disadvantaged individuals to reach journeylevel status in the highway construction trades, although stakeholders believe it can create some opportunities. FHWA's decentralized management of the program--in which state transportation agencies and FHWA's division offices are generally responsible for program implementation--has led to a wide range of practices. As a result, the types of training opportunities created by the program vary from state to state in terms of, for example, the length of training and the entities involved in providing training. In addition, the extent that state programs focus on creating training opportunities for traditionally underrepresented groups differs. The limited amount of useable information available on program results varies among states. As a result, FHWA does not know how well the program is doing, and GAO could not accurately determine how many trainees participate in the program or the demographics of those trainees; however, GAO estimates that several thousand likely participate in any one year. FHWA's oversight approach does little to assess program results. FHWA lacks clear criteria that articulate what states are supposed to accomplish through their job training programs. While some broad program expectations are stipulated in guidance and regulations, FHWA acknowledges some of these are outdated. Furthermore, FHWA's oversight approach does not determine the overall effectiveness of state programs or measure state progress. For example, although state transportation agencies are required to submit achievement information on an annual basis to FHWA division offices, states submitted this information using a wide range of different output terms and different demographic and trade classification categories. GAO has reported that program criteria are key aspects of results-oriented performance management. Through a separate program, FHWA provides funding for a variety of activities intended to increase the overall effectiveness of the on-the-job training program, but its overall stewardship of the program is limited. FHWA's supportive services program provides grants for locally tailored initiatives, such as skills training, child care, and career awareness events, that directly and indirectly link to job training programs. However, there is insufficient data to determine how effective these efforts have been in enhancing job training opportunities. Although FHWA has articulated the types of data states should collect and report, the agency does not know, and GAO could not determine, the number of participants in the supportive services program or its effect, in part because grantees do not always provide information about their program results. However, GAO estimated that there are about 10,000 people participating in any one year. Furthermore, past performance information is not required of applicants or scored during funding reviews. Given that many grantees are funded repeatedly, good management practices suggest that using past performance information can inform and improve recipient selection approaches. Program results are important for making budgetary and programmatic decisions. Without insight into program activities, FHWA cannot ensure that funding is used effectively. GAO recommends that FHWA (1) strengthen on-the-job training program criteria, (2) create and implement an oversight approach for its job training program, and (3) evaluate the extent to which supportive services programs have met their goals and use this information to inform future funding decisions. The agency generally agreed with these recommendations and provided technical comments, which were incorporated as appropriate. Recommendations Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work. Director: David J. Wise Team: Government Accountability Office: Physical Infrastructure Phone: (202) 512-5731 Recommendations for Executive Action Recommendation: To establish accountability for meeting the programs' goal of increasing the participation of traditionally underrepresented groups in the highway construction workforce, the Secretary of Transportation should direct the FHWA Administrator to strengthen criteria--through regulations, guidelines, or other mechanisms--so that states have a clear understanding of how the on-the-job training program should be implemented and the results state programs are intended to accomplish. Agency Affected: Department of Transportation Status: In process Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information. Recommendation: To establish accountability for meeting the programs' goal of increasing the participation of traditionally underrepresented groups in the highway construction workforce, the Secretary of Transportation should direct the FHWA Administrator to create and implement an oversight mechanism that (1) holds states accountable for meeting federal training criteria and (2) clearly stipulates how FHWA will assess state program effectiveness, including what type of program achievement data states are to submit and how such data will be used. This oversight mechanism should include assessing the effectiveness of its division offices in overseeing state activities. Agency Affected: Department of Transportation Status: In process Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information. Recommendation: To establish accountability for meeting the programs' goal of increasing the participation of traditionally underrepresented groups in the highway construction workforce, the Secretary of Transportation should, for the supportive services program, develop an approach to (1) evaluate the extent to which grantees have met their proposed annual goals and (2) integrate the results of this evaluation into FHWA's funding decisions for supportive services programs. Agency Affected: Department of Transportation Status: In process Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Dialogue closes today!! Department of Transportation needs ideas

RECRUITMENT: How do we leverage existing programs that promote the recruitment and hiring of women working in transportation-related careers?

RETENTION: What ideas, suggestions or strategies do you have for retaining and advancing women's talent within your industry?

What do YOU think are the game changers?

Here's your chance to participate!

National Online Dialogue on Women in Blue-Collar Transportation Careers EXTENDED through August 5^th!

Visit www.dialogueforwomen.ideascale.com TODAY

and join the conversation!

Join men and women across the country in this national, interactive conversation of ideas and best practices related to the RECRUITMENT and RETENTION of women in skilled, blue-collar transportation careers!

**But don't stop there!**

Tell your friends and coworkers to go online and submit their own ideas, suggestions and experiences and HELP US MEET OUR GOAL to have participation from EVERY state and EVERY mode of transportation.

As you submit original ideas and comment and vote on other ideas, keep these questions in mind:
RECRUITMENT: How do we leverage existing programs that promote the recruitment and hiring of women working in transportation-related careers?
RETENTION: What ideas, suggestions or strategies do you have for retaining and advancing women's talent within your industry?

The dialogue is free and open to all. It is accessible 24/7 during their allotted times and participants can easily log on from home. 

Fwd: The Sky is the Limit for NYC Tradeswomen

From NEW newsletter

June 2011 NEW 2011 Equity Leadership Awards Luncheon 2011 Equity Leadership Tradeswoman Honoree Ana Taveras On June 9th, NEW celebrated the women who build New York City at our annual Luncheon. Over 700 industry leaders and NEW supporters were in attendance to honor the 2011 Equity Leadership Honorees and to celebrate the owners, contractors, unions, and employers who are helping to open doors for NEW graduates every day. "NEW showed me a door that I never knew existed, a door of opportunity. NEW unlocked that door for me, the Laborers opened the door, and I pushed through and marched right in." Ana Taveras, NEW Graduate Laborer, Local 79 Organizing Coordinator, Laborers Eastern Region Organizing Fund Watch Ana tell her story How You Can Help Anthony Berardo, Director of Construction, Ronsco, Inc. and Lizbeth Lasso, NEW Graduate Hire a NEW Graduate for a Short-Term Job NEW has screened and qualified candidates available immediately for temporary job opportunities. Learn more about how NEW can meet your temporary employment needs. "We are a better business because of it." Susan Hayes Cauldwell Wingate Company, LLC The internship at Ronsco was a phenomenal experience. I saw women in the work place and it gave me the confidence I needed." Lizbeth Lasso NEW Graduate Students in NEW shop Learn more about NEW and how you can help Do you want to learn more about NEW? Would you like to meet NEW students and graduates? Contact Jennifer Williford to schedule a tour of NEW's training center or to learn how you can get involved. "Our first step was to visit NEW's headquarters on 20th Street. We were impressed by the classrooms including the carpentry shop and the drywall mockup, but most importantly by the students enrolled in the program that we met that day." Louise Matthews Vice President, Global Real Estate and Facilities Avon Products, Inc. Photo by Kelsy Chauvin© Josefina Calcano Carpenter NYC District Council of Carpenters Before NEW, I didn't know which direction my life was going in. I didn't have a secure job. I always knew that I enjoyed working with my hands and building things. I just wasn't aware that it was a possibility for me to do construction work as a career. I didn't know about NEW. Being at NEW was an awesome experience. I got to meet great women and we bonded. I put down some roots at NEW. It's where I started my journey as a tradeswoman. And it's made a real difference in my life. I have a secure job with benefits and a good pay rate. I can take care of my family. I am working on the World Trade Center Tower 4. It's great to see so many women working on this project. NEW is helping to build New York and women are playing a big role in that. I love being surrounded by women who are in the trades just like me. There should be even more tradeswomen working on job sites, more of us to build New York City. QUICK LINKS Website Donate Mailing List Facebook The Sky is the Limit "Before NEW, the ceiling was a lot lower as far as my earnings, as far as what I could hope to achieve. With this trade, the sky is the limit." Tara Van Ness, NEW Graduate Plumber, Local 1 Hear what other tradeswomen and industry leaders are saying about NEW Watch NEW's film "The Sky is the Limit" NEW Partners with Brooklyn Community Foundation NEW is proud to announce a recent grant award made by the Brooklyn Community Foundation. The Foundation works to improve the lives of people in Brooklyn by strengthening communities through local giving, grantmaking and community service. This support will allow NEW to continue to help women move from poverty to prosperity through a career in the skilled trades. Nontraditional Employment for Women | 243 West 20th Street, New York, NY | (212) 627-6252 | www.new-nyc.org