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 1, 2016

WCPO Cincinnati: What’s old is new again: Apprenticeships for manufacturing jobs help fill big workforce gap

Bullock, 37, pivoted to a career path that offers much better pay than waiting tables and one that’s hungry for skilled workers: machine tool operating. The industry is thriving in Greater Cincinnati to the point that prospective workers can be trained in a year or less without the need for an associate’s or bachelor’s degree for entry-level jobs that can pay $20 an hour or more.

January 30, 2016

Providence Journal: John Kostrzewa: R.I.’s cities need most help closing job-skills gap

“Working women of color have a different experience with the labor market than women as a whole,” she said. “Policymakers should address workforce development programs that target these populations.”

Jordan-Zachery’s report said that job-training programs that have reached women of color in cities tend to focus on low-skill jobs that don’t pay enough to support a family.

She also said the programs do not recognize the geographical “spatial mismatch,” explaining that while the women live in the central cities, the jobs they are being trained for are in the suburbs and they often have few transportation options to get there.

To view more of IWPR’s research, visit IWPR.org