On June 24, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held a hearing to examine vocational education programs. Employment, Safety, and Training Subcommittee Chair Mike Enzi (R-WY) presided over the hearing. Noting that both the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act (P.L. 105-332) and the Workforce Investment Act (P.L. 105-220) are up for reauthorization, Sen. Enzi said that Congress should keep in mind “the idea that we should be helping women of all ages in getting high-wage, high-demand work.”
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) agreed, saying that Congress should be “doing a better job in seeing that girls and women get opportunities in nontraditional jobs and skilled trades.” She continued, “We are in danger of losing our skilled craftsmen, and women, and we don’t have a sufficient pipeline to help men and women get into these trades.”
Angela Olszewski, a journeywoman and instructor for Non Traditional Employment for Women (NEW) in New York City and a member of the International Union of Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers, told the subcommittee her personal story. After being laid off from a job with New York City’s Parks & Recreation Department, Ms. Olszewski enrolled in NEW’s program. “The program ran full-time for 12 weeks. I learned about current opportunities in the building trades. I gained confidence in my abilities in the shop class. I practiced entrance exams and interviews. I improved my physical conditioning, and I felt solidly determined to get into the tile setter’s union,” she said.
Since completing her apprenticeship last year, Ms. Olszewski also is employed as a part-time job readiness instructor for NEW. “I have spoken to hundreds of women who have trained for careers in the building trades. The material in my class is prepared straight out of my experience as a tradeswoman. I cover topics such as dealing with isolation, sexual harassment, and how to effectively monitor the progress of your apprenticeship to make sure you are getting access to skills when training on the job.” Saying that she wished she had been exposed to skilled trades at an early age, Ms. Olszewski told the committee that her salary has increased from $18,000 as a first year apprentice to $55,000 as a journeywoman.
Ms. Olszewski also pointed to the importance of passing a resolution (S. Res. 162) honoring tradeswomen. Sponsored by Sen. Clinton, the resolution would express the sense of the Senate that there should be more attention paid to breaking down the barriers that women face in entering the skilled trades and that policymakers, labor unions, and industry leaders should look at different labor pools to address existing and future skilled shortages.
During the question and answer period, several witnesses offered recommendations for encouraging women to enter nontraditional jobs. Harry Lightsey of BellSouth, South Carolina, noted that BellSouth and the BellSouth Foundation awarded a $1 million grant to the South Carolina Department of Education to fund two programs: Project Lead the Way and FIRST Robotics. Mr. Lightsey said that their programs’ participation rates for women are 33 percent above the national norm. “These programs clearly work, and I think it’s about showing students the relevance of what they’re doing,” he said, noting that “it’s the nontraditional classroom that draws” women to participate in their programs.
Dr. Michael Rush of the Idaho Division of Professional-Technical Education agreed, adding, “The best recruitment tool for women and minorities is creating quality programs.” He also said that career clusters “has the potential of broadening the appeal of all programs, particularly to women” and mentioned that Idaho is currently creating a construction cluster that is aimed at women.
Cautioning the committee against directing training funds solely for high-demand, high-wage jobs, Dr. Jo Anne McFarland of Central Wyoming College said, “I think that if we limit the training funds for particular high-wage, demanding training jobs, we may be leaving out many women, particularly single women with kids.” Pointing out that 220 percent of the federal poverty level for a family of three is approximately $34,000, Dr. McFarland said, “That is more than what we pay beginning master’s prepared teachers at our community college…We have many [women] who would be willing to start at $24,000.” She continued, “The first step ought not be so high that we leave out many people in our country who need the assistance and with help can lead productive lives.”
