The Women’s Bureau of the U.S. Dept. of Labor has created a very useful website portal, Women Build, Protect & Move America, geared toward women who wish to find higher paying careers in construction, transportation and protective services.
The site includes occupation info from the Occupational Outlook Handbook for those specific industry sectors. Each entry covers:
- The sorts of things people do to perform that specific job.
- What it takes to become a worker in that field.
- Pay scales.
- Employment numbers and wages per state.
- Job outlook (growth in number of jobs in the future).
A section on training, scholarships and recruitment incorporates a variety of programs by various agencies and organizations around the country.
Programs to help women enter nontraditional fields
Building Pathways The Action for Boston Community Development’s six-week program that prepares candidates for a career in construction.
Transportation Alliance for New Solutions (TrANS) A training model sponsored by the Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation I-94 North South Corridor Project to address the shortage of women and minorities in highway construction.
Rosie’s Girls A one-week summer day camp operated by Vermont Works for Women for middle-school girls to teach them carpentry and engineering skills.
Lady Truck Drivers A website dedicated to women who drive trucks or would like to and includes a directory of trucking companies that are interested in hiring women truckers and women in trucking related jobs.
Women in Transportation A program of Los Angeles Trade-Tech Community College that prepares women for employment in the automotive, heavy equipment and collision industries. Participants must be a member of one of three categories to participate, including being a previous offender (on probation or parole) – the other two are being unemployed or failure to graduate from high school or attain a GED.
Apprenticeship info is among other resources the website offers
Other resources at Women Build, Protect & Move America include a guide to nationwide and local apprenticeship programs offered by agencies, unions and nonprofit organizations. Among these are Chicago Women in Trades, Independent Electrical Contractors Fort Worth, Puget Sound Electrical Apprenticeship, University of Iron, and Mass Building Trades.
The site also has a section for employers who are looking to fill jobs by recruiting women from outside their industries.
Anyone interested in employment in nontraditional work or companies that would like to hire them should tap into the resources on the Women Build, Protect & Move America website. And always remember to check your local American Job Center to find out if there might be other programs in your area.
For more information on opportunities for women, check out:
NEW finds success in placing women in trade union jobs
East Bay Community Birth Support Project
