TRANSFORMING PINK TO GREEN: MOVING WOMEN INTO JOBS IN THE GREEN ECONOMY

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TRANSFORMING PINK TO GREEN MOVING WOMEN INTO
JOBS IN THE GREEN ECONOMY
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• Wider Opportunities for Women works to
• Promote intergenerational economic independence
  for women and famiilies
• Develop and promote policies and programs,
  nationally and in Washington DC, which promote
  equality of opportunity for low-income women,
  with an emphasis on improving womens access to
  nontraditional jobs.
• Inform and mobilize the public and policymakers
  about the needs of low-income families and the
  policies and programs to ensure economic security
  for women and families across generations
• Our Technical Assistance addresses
• Barriers to Womens Inclusion in Nontraditional
  Green Jobs
• Adding a Gender Lens to Recruitment, Training,
  Case Management, Placement and Retention
• Policies for Equal Opportunity
• Building Workforce Partnerships Capacity and
  Sustainability for Gender Inclusivity

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A Gendered Lens Assessment Rate Your Programs
Capacity to Serve Women

• Our outreach and recruitment plan is
  strategically designed to reach out to
  organizations, venues and media that attract
  women.
• Yes
• No
• Our intake and career counselors understand the
  impact of sex stereotypes, myths and barriers
  about womens participation in the workforce and
  can effectively promote nontraditional jobs to
  women.
• Yes
• No
• We have set goals for numbers of women
  applicants, participants, graduates and
  placements
• Yes
• No

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GENDER EQUITY

• Women on average earn 77 of mens wages
• African American women earn only 69
• Latina women earn only 60
• 77 of all women work in just 20 of 440
  occupations
•  42 of all men earn over 50,000. Only 9 of
  working women do- and this was the ceiling,
  although it is the floor for male workers.
• 69 of all workers 25 and older earning below
  minimum wage were women
• Lifetime difference between a NTO and traditional
  job 2,266,200 - 617,430 1,648,770

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Occupational Segregation by Gender
Traditional Jobs for Women
Non-Traditional Jobs for Women
Occupation Female Avg. Wages
Secretary 96.1 15.40
Receptionist 93.6 12.57
Waitress 73.2 9.77
Cashier 75.5 9
Occupation Female Avg. Wages
Truck Driver 8.9 17.72
Mechanic 1.6 19.07
Firefighter 4.8 24.25
Construction Trades 3 22.71 (PDX area)
Nontraditional occupations are those in which
women comprise 25 percent or less of total
employed. National stats U.S. Department of
Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual
Averages 2008. Portland area stats May 2008
Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area
Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, OR-WA
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BENEFITS OF NTO FOR WOMEN

• Jobs with Good Benefits
• On-the Job Training
• Portable skills
• Pride of Accomplishment
• Increased Self-Esteem
• Self-Reliance

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BARRIERS TO WOMENS PARTICIPATION IN NTO

• Lack of awareness
• Sex stereotypes
• Limited Training
• Perception of work
• Lack of Outreach
• Barriers to Application
• Disparate Impact of
  Selection Criteria

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SIMPLE STEPS TO IMPROVE RECRUITMENT OF WOMEN

• Inform/Train staff re
• Womens Economic Status
• Benefits and Opportunities
• Myths and stereotypes about womens work
• Womens challenges to entry
• Strategies to target womens recruitment
• Disparate impact of assessment criteria
• Gender neutral assessment techniques
• Engage local community groups and workforce
  agencies in education about benefits of green
  jobs and outreach to underrepresented groups
• Engage/prepare industry partners in support of
  recruitment, hiring and retention of
  underrepresented populations

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Outreach and Recruitment of Women

• Tool 1.1. Quiz Gender EquityTest Your Knowledge
  of Women's Economic Status and Equity
• Prompt awareness about the need for women to
  have access to jobs in the traditionally
  higher-paid, male-dominated blue collar careers.
  The quiz can also be used to build the
  understanding and commitment of workforce
  development professionals for gender equity.
• Includes Myths and Facts worksheet, designed to
  raise awareness about commonly misunderstood stere
  otypes.
• Tool 1.2. Presentation Transforming Pink to
  GreenRecruiting Women into the Green Jobs
  Economy
• An overview of benefits, barriers, and myths for
  women in nontraditional green occupations
• Outreach and marketing to women creating and
  delivering gender-targeted messages, including
  sample materials
• Conducting successful information and orientation
  sessions to attract/inform women and
• Tool 1.3. Assessment Tool Assessing Your
  Organization's Capacity for Recruiting WomenUse
  this assessment to evaluate your current
  capacity, including the number of women you
  serve, recruitment and assessment practices, and
  program goals. 

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Outreach and Recruitment of Women

• Tool 1.4. Worksheet Creating a Targeted Outreach
  Plan to Recruit WomenUse this worksheet as a
  planning tool to create your own customized
  strategies and messages.  
• Tool 1.5. Tip Sheet Planning an Information
  SessionStrategies for a Successful Information
  or Orientation SessionUse this tool to plan a
  short orientation or information session for a
  green jobs training program. 
• Tool 1.6. Tip Sheet Planning a Career Fair for
  Improving Women's Access to Green JobsUse this
  tip sheet to plan a career fair. It includes
  steps and information on marketing, partner
  engagement, program, and logistics.
• Tool 1.7. Worksheet Self AssessmentConsidering
  a Career in the Building Trades
• Tool 1.8. Worksheet Outreach and Recruitment
  Workplan to Attract and Engage Women
  ApplicantsUse this worksheet to create a
  blueprint and timeline for your programs
  outreach and recruitment goals, activities, and
  measurable outcomes. This tool includes two
  sample workplans.

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Outreach Materials

• Go to where women are
• People need to hear/see the message more than
  once in order to respond.
• Repeated contact with your intended audience.
• Feature women working in green jobs
• Address women specifically in the headline
• Get their attention with information on
  benefits/advantages of jobs in the green economy

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Outreach and Recruitment of Women

• Build relationships for trust and word of mouth
  recruiting.
• Pair outreach with education information
  sessions, orientations
• Define the next step
• Clear next step for them to take.

http//www.tradeswomen.net/lineworkers.html
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Outreach and Recruitment of Women

• Information Session
• What is an apprenticeship?
• What are the requirements for entry?
• What are working conditions like?
• Where will the work be?
• Host a larger career fair/orientation
• Role Models
• Industry Engagement
• Hands- On Activities

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Outreach and Recruitment of Women
Five Key Actions to Recruit Women for a Diverse
Workforce

1. Showcase real women doing the work.
2. Talk about why women love working in these jobs.
3. Give them a realistic portrayal of what it takes
   to be successful as a minority in the industry
   beforehand, but challenge them to rise to the
   occasion.
4. Go out of your way to bring in diverse
   applicants.
5. Talk about the social and environmental justice
   aspects of the job.

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Annual Recruitment Results of Oregon Tradeswomen,
Inc.

• 1500 women and girls come to our Women in Trades
  Career Fair.
• 900 women call us to find out about the trades.
• 700 women come to our orientations.
• 180 women apply to enter our program.
• 96 women graduate.
• 50 women entered trades jobs.

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Robyn Bush From sales at Home Depot to climbing
to new heights asa union Ironworker on a wind
farm

• Four years ago Bush was anxious for a job that
  would provide more economic security for her
  family.
• She read an article about a 12-week
  pre-apprenticeship training program offered by
  Chicago Women in Trades at the local community
  college. She signed up.
• Through the program, Bush learned the skills she
  needed to apply and interview for jobs few women
  had held before her.
• Ultimately she landed a position with the
  ironworkers apprenticeship programmaking her
  the first journey level woman ironworker in the
  local unions history.
• She credits her success in an overwhelmingly
  male-dominated industry to gaining confidence in
  her skills through the Chicago Women in Trades
  program and developing the toughness to overcome
  physical and mental barriers on the job.

You have to think of yourself as one of the
guys, while accepting that you may occasionally
need to ask for help if you dont have the
physical strength to do something, says Bush.
Today Bush is using her skills to power the new
green economy working on a wind farm outside of
Chicago preparing blades for wind towers
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• November 2005 City and NEW launch ad campaign,
  Were Looking for a Few Good Women. Over 2,000
  women contact NEW within three months.January
  2006 Construction trade unions target 10 of
  apprentice construction slots for women. NYS
  Department of Labor approves direct access for
  NEW graduates into union apprenticeships.July
  2006 MTA and NEW start subway and bus ad
  campaign. NEW applications increase by 250.2006
  NEW places 175 women in nontraditional
  jobs.February 2007 Key NYC projects commit to a
  goal of 15 women in the trade workforce.2007
  New York District Council of Carpenters includes
  over 400 active women.2008 NEW helps MTV
  Networks/Viacom achieve an average of seven
  percent tradeswomen over their 22-week project,
  peaking at nine percent. This pilot program
  serves as a model for other construction
  projects.
• 2009 NEW places graduates with 17 unions - an 88
  percent increase over three years.
• Measuring Progress NEW has placed over 625 women
  in the construction trades since 2005. NEW
  graduates started apprenticeships in 20 building
  trade unions this year.

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Case Studies
Case Study A Before NEW Leaves high school
after the 10th grade, obtains GED Has two
children Divorces, and because she was not
financially secure, ex-husband gains custody of
both daughters After NEW Accepted into plumbers
apprenticeship program Today Working as a
plumber earning 47.66/hour and facilitating
workshops for NEW graduates
Case Study B Before NEW Joins Navy
Reserves After NEW Accepted into operating
engineers apprenticeship program Completes
apprenticeship Today Working as an operating
engineer and as an instructor at the union hall
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Chicago Women In Trades Online Manual

• Technical Opportunities Program
• Applicant Handbook

You Can Do It! a Womans Guide to Construction
Careers
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Why Green Is Your Color A Woman's Guide to a
Sustainable Career

• Introduction to the Guide
• Why Is Green Good for Women
• Green Occupations  A Look at What's Out There
• Educating Yourself for a Green Career
• Finding Your Green Job
• Green Entrepreneurship
• Women Succeeding in Green Jobs
• Overcoming Challenges on Your Career Path
• Planning Your Green Career
• Glossary of Terms

http//www.dol.gov/wb/Green_Jobs_Guide/index.htm
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Gendered Lens Assessment Rate Your Programs
Capacity to Serve Women

• Have you reviewed your assessment process to
  identify if there are any potential barriers, or
  any questions that may have a disparate impact on
  women being identified as strong applicants?
• Yes
• No
• We offer professional development on the impact
  of gender stereotypes and hidden biases and the
  need for gender and culturally neutral, inclusive
  and sensitive practices in all aspects of our
  program. 
• Yes
• No

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Effective Assessment For Maximum Inclusion

• Career Exploration
• Gender Neutral Assessment Tools
• Transferable Skills
• Career Pathways
• Income Adequacy Wages to Gain Family Economic
  Security

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Assessment and Case Management

• Tool 2.1. Presentation Assessment and Case
  Management Strategies to Support Women's
  Participation and Success in Green JobsThe
  presentation offers gender-neutral and sensitive
  assessment techniques, as well as guidelines for
  case management. It covers three topics
• From a gender lens selecting candidates likely
  to succeed
• Case management supporting females clients from
  assessment to retention and
• Using self-sufficiency tools in assessment and
  case management.
• Tool 2.2. Tip Sheet Assessment Questions and
  Evaluation CriteriaSample questions apply a
  gender lens to assessment
• to go beyond stereotypes,
• identify transferable skills, and
• determine how to best serve incoming participants.
  

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Industry Engagement in Recruitment and
Assessment

• Benefits for Client
• Exposure to real employers
• Hearing directly from employers on what they are
  looking for in an employee
• Benefits for Industry
• Meeting Clients
• Pre-Screened Applicants
• Benefits for Program
• Employer Investment
• Feedback for Program

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Capacity Building and Sustainability for Gender
Inclusion

• Apply a gender and race lens to all aspects of
  your program. Conduct a scan/survey of your
  programs current policy, practices and cultural
  competency
• Develop a plan with targets and benchmarks - set
  goals for numbers of women applicants,
  participants, graduates and placements
• Go out of your way to recruit and serve women and
  other underrepresented groups. Develop strategic
  outreach and recruitment plans to attract and
  engage female applicants.
• Be an advocate for diversity and equity with
  industry stakeholders
• Build staff understanding of
• the impact of gender wage inequity,
• gender segregation of the labor market,
• the impact of gender stereotypes and hidden
  biases,
• and the need for gender and culturally sensitive
  teaching practices
• How to support and serve traditionally
  underrepresented groups.

• Final Tips
• 1) Be Strategic
• 2) Set Goals
• 3) Monitor Progress
• 4) Measure and Report Outcomes

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Closing and Commitment to Next StepsExercise
Share one strategic change you plan to make in
your program.

• What are the specific steps you will take?
• What resources or support are necessary to make
  changes?
• How will you measure impact?

• We plan to set goals for numbers of women
  applicants, participants, graduates and
  placements
• We will review our outreach and recruitment plans
  to ensure that they are strategically designed
  to attract and engage women applicants.
• We will ensure that our staff has a deep
  understanding of the impact of gender stereotypes
  , hidden biases and the need for gender/cultural
  sensitive teaching practices.
• We will expand our policy and professional
  development practices to build staff capacity to
  support and serve traditionally underrepresented
  groups.

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Resources and Links

• Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc.
• 3934 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Suite
  101
• Portland, OR 97212
• 503.335.8200 phone
• www.tradeswomen.net
• ANEW - Apprenticeship and Nontraditional
  Employment for Women
• Apprenticeship Opportunities Program
• 550 SW 7th Street, Suite B305 Renton WA 98057
• Telephone [phone]
• www.anewaop.org
• NEW - Nontraditional Employment for Women
• 243 West 20th Street
• New York, NY 10011
• [phone]
• www.new-nyc.org
• Chicago Women in Trades
• 2444 W. 16th St., Ste. 3E

• 1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite
  930Washington, DC 20036Phone
  202-464-1596Fax [phone]www.wowonline.o
  rglsugerman_at_wowonline.org
• Illinois Center for Specialized Professional
  Support Services
• icsps_at_ilstu.edu
• Main phone [phone]
• ICSPS
• Illinois State University
• Campus Box 5911B
• Normal, IL 61790
• www.icsps.illinoisstate.edu