Education and job training can transform women’s economic futures.
Why It Matters
Education and career training are among the most powerful pathways to economic security, yet for many women, the road is far from straightforward. The rising cost of college hits hardest for women, particularly women of color and parenting students, who are more likely to need to borrow to pay for higher education and struggle to repay. And even when women access higher education, gaps in institutional resources, civil rights protections, and basic needs leave many without the supports they need to complete their degrees.
Beyond the classroom, apprenticeships and workforce development programs offer critical pathways to well-paying careers, but too often steer women into lower-paying fields, deepening the gender wage gap further. Everyday barriers, including lack of child care, transportation, and financial instability, compound these challenges at every turn. Expanding equitable and affordable access to education and career training and ensuring these pathways lead to real economic opportunity are essential to women’s long-term financial security.
74%Nearly 3 in 4 parenting students are mothers, and 3 in 5 are single mothers.
14.5%Apprenticeships can provide pathways to industry-recognized qualifications for workers in high-paying, in-demand fields, though women comprise just 14.5% of all apprentices.
