Weekly Roundup of the news on women and supportive services in job training programs.
By Rachel Linn
Job training can provide an entry into family-sustaining jobs and careers. Many women in job training programs, however, face obstacles to success. Wraparound services—such as child care assistance, access to public benefits, and transportation or housing assistance—can help adults, particularly those with caregiving responsibilities, to complete programs that will ultimately improve their economic standing.
February 12, 2016
Mid Hudson News (New York): Seven women first to enter carpenters’ union apprenticeship program
Seven young women are the first to enter the pre-apprenticeship program sponsored by the Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters and the Sisters in the Brotherhood
Rahinee Valverde, 25, of New Rochelle is a single mom with two children who joined the program. Her 7-year-old son was thrilled with his mother’s new career. “He can’t wait for me to bring the tools home and play with them,” Valverde said. “He’s really excited. He’s never heard of women carpenters so I first told him, he was shocked. Now he’s really excited.”
February 9, 2016
MarketWatch: White House proposes $2 billion to increase apprenticeships
Cary James spent four years getting a degree in mechanical engineering from Boston University. But after a few years of working in her field, she quit and became an electrician apprentice.
The Obama administration Tuesday proposed a $2 billion Apprenticeship Training Fund as part of its 2017 budget proposal to fulfill the president’s 2014 pledge to double the number of apprentices in the United States before he leaves office. While common in Europe, apprenticeship has yet to catch on in the United States. Last year, less than one-half of 1% of the U.S. workforce was in an apprenticeship program, the Labor Department said.
February 7, 2016
Globe Gazette (Iowa): Women learn to operate construction equipment through simulators in Mason City
Iowa Workforce Development, IowaWORKS and Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo are using a $75,000 Walmart Foundation grant to introduce low-income Iowa women to jobs in construction.
The grant covers the costs of bringing a specialized Hawkeye Community College trailer equipped with six construction simulators and a welding simulator, along with an instructor, to each of the state’s 15 IowaWORKS offices in 2016.
Construction is the second-highest-paying industry for men engaged in the Promise Jobs program, which provides work and training services to Family Investment Program participants. However, women represent only 2.3 percent of those holding construction jobs. Data also indicates construction is an industry showing growth in projected openings and wages.
Also in The Daily NonPareil: Women can explore construction field with equipment simulator
To view more of IWPR’s research, visit IWPR.org
