1.This Act may be cited as the
Women and Workforce Investment for
Nontraditional Jobs
or Women WIN Jobs
.
2.Congress finds the following:
(1)According to the Council of Economic
Advisors, occupations requiring higher educational attainment are
projected to grow much faster than those with lower education requirements
between 2006 and 2016, with the fastest growth among occupations that require
an associate’s degree or a post-secondary vocational award.
Some of the
occupations cited in the report include electricians, plumbers, aircraft
mechanics and service technicians, electrical power line installers and
repairers, and environmental engineering technicians, all of which are
nontraditional occupations for women, as defined under the Carl T. Perkins
Career and Technical Education Act of 2006.
(2)Only 6.2 percent
of employed women worked in nontraditional occupations in 2008.
(3)More than one-half of all working women are
clustered in 25 of 504 job categories tracked by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics. Excluding teachers and nurses, most of these categories are among
the lowest-paid occupations. In general, women working in nontraditional fields
earn 20 to 30 percent more than women in traditionally female fields.
(4)The National
Association of Manufacturers estimates a need for 10 million new workers by
2020 due to the aging of the current workforce. Moreover, 90 percent of
manufacturers are experiencing a shortage of qualified employees including
machinists, operators, craft workers, distributors, and technicians. Women hold
only 4.7 percent of welding, soldering, and brazing jobs.
(5)Women make up 75.5
percent of cashiers, whose hourly wage averages $9.08, but only 3.3 percent of
electrical power-line installers and repairers, who earn an average hourly wage
of $26.11, and only 3 percent of telecommunications line installers and
repairers, who earn an average hourly wage of $22.75.
(6)Women comprise
73.2 percent of wait staff, whose hourly wage averages $9.41, but only 2
percent of HVAC mechanics and installers, who make an average hourly wage of
$20.31.
(7)Women make up 95.6
percent of child care workers, whose hourly wage averages $9.79, but only 1
percent of electricians, who make an average hourly wage of $23.98.
(8)Women comprise
93.6 percent of receptionists and information clerks, whose hourly wage
averages $12.21, but only 4.9 percent of surveying and mapping technicians who
make an average hourly wage of $18.03.
(9)Women make up 84.4
percent of office clerks, whose hourly wage averages $12.20, but only 10.5
percent of computer, ATM and office machine repairers, who make an average
hourly wage of $18.95, and only 13 percent of avionics technicians, who earn an
average hourly wage of $23.73.
(10)Women are only 5 percent of surveying and
mapping technicians with a median weekly wage of $794; 11 percent of computer,
ATM, and office machine repair persons with a median weekly wage of $823; and
18 percent of web developers or programmers with a median weekly wage of
$1,218.
(11)Girls comprise only 15 percent of students
enrolled in high school courses leading to nontraditional occupations. This
proportion has stayed relatively constant for the past 30 years.
(12)An independent
study conducted in 2001 found that when programs, such as those under the Women
in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) Act of 1992, were
implemented in an area, local women were 25 percent more likely to hold a
nontraditional job and were more likely to hold these jobs years after the
intervention.
(13)More than half of
the individuals receiving training services under the Workforce Investment Act
are women. However, males who complete training are 11 times more likely to be
employed in the occupational category farming, fishing, forestry, construction
and extraction and 7 times more likely in the area installation, repair,
production, transportation, and material moving. In 2007, quarterly earnings of
females who completed training were 18 percent lower than the earnings of males
who completed the training.
(14)Among women who
received training services under the Workforce Investment Act in either the
adult or dislocated worker program, the share of those employed in
nontraditional occupations the first quarter after exiting declined from 4.9
percent and 6.2 percent in each program respectively in program year 2002 to
2.3 percent and 2.8 percent respectively in program year 2007.
3.In this Act—
(1)the term designated region
has the meaning given such term in section 116(c)(5)(A) of the Workforce
Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2831(c)(5(A));
(2)the term
eligible entity
means a partnership—
(A)among—
(i)a
community-based organization experienced in serving women;
(ii)1
or more employers or a business association;
(iii)a
registered apprenticeship program if available in a designated region;
and
(iv)a
public postsecondary education institution; and
(B)in addition to the
required partners described in subparagraph (A), that may include business and
trade associations, labor unions, high schools, and workforce and economic
development agencies;
(3)the term
self-sufficiency standard means a measure of how much income
families need to cover their basic costs without subsidies, as determined or
recognized by the State for an applicable local area using a consistent
methodology that calculates the costs of living and working (including taxes)
based upon sub-State geographic location and family size and
composition;
(4)the term
non-traditional occupations means those occupations in which women
make up less than 25 percent of the current workforce (as defined in section 3
of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C.
2302));
(5)the term
public postsecondary education institution means—
(A)a junior or
community college, as defined in section 312(f) of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1058(f)); or
(B)an area technical
school, as defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical
Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302);
(6)the term
registered apprenticeship program
means a program registered
under the Act of August 16, 1937 (commonly known as the National
Apprenticeship Act
(29 U.S.C. 50 note)); and
(7)the term State
has the
meaning given such term in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and
Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302).
4.
(a)
(1)In any fiscal year in which the total amount appropriated
under section 11 exceeds $50,000,000, the Secretary of Labor shall, from the
amount appropriated under section 11 to carry out this section, allocate funds
to States using a formula based on each State’s share of the national
population of women from families with an income of less than 200 percent of
the poverty threshold, according to the most recent data available by the
Bureau of the Census.
(2)If
a State does not receive funds under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall
reallocate such funds to other States in the same proportion funds are
allocated under such paragraph.
(b)
(1)In order to receive
an allocation of funds under subsection (a), the Governor of a State shall
submit a State Plan that describes how the State plans to—
(A)distribute such
funds to eligible entities located in the State to increase women’s
participation in high-wage, high-demand occupations in which women are
currently underrepresented in the State’s workforce in accordance with section
5; and
(B)use such funds to
carry out the statewide activities described in subsection (c).
(2)Administration
of State PlanThe State Plan described in paragraph (1) shall be
administered by a State workforce development board (as referred to in the
Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.)), in consultation
with a State entity (as defined in section 118(c) of the Carl D. Perkins Career
Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2328)).
(3)The Secretary of Labor shall review each State plan
submitted pursuant to this subsection within 60 days of receipt.
(c)The designated State entity may reserve not more than 15
percent of the grant for statewide activities to—
(1)provide technical
assistance to eligible entities receiving funding under this Act and to State
registered apprenticeship programs and sponsors and joint apprenticeship
training councils on meeting their enrollment goal for women in nontraditional
occupations;
(2)develop
institutional and cross-agency policies and protocols such as memoranda of
understanding that set goals for the hiring of specific percentages of women
served under this Act into registered apprenticeships and permanent employment
openings in publicly assisted projects;
(3)engage in public
education and outreach activities, to overcome stereotypes about women in
nontraditional occupations, including the development of educational and
marketing materials; and
(4)provide training and technical assistance
to overcome gender inequity among employers, registered apprenticeship
programs, and State equal employment opportunity and affirmative action
agencies.
5.State grants to
partnerships
(a)
(1)A State receiving funds under section 4 shall allocate
the funds not reserved to carry out the statewide activities described in
section 4(c) to eligible entities in the State to support the recruitment,
training, placement, and retention of women in nontraditional
occupations.
(2)An allocation under
this section to an eligible entity shall be made for not more than 2 years with
the possibility of a multi-year renewal upon submission of a renewal
application containing information—
(A)about the
effectiveness of the services and activities provided under subsection (d)(1)
using the funds made available under the first allocation; and
(B)any such
additional information as the Secretary may require.
(3)An allocation under this section to an eligible entity
shall be of sufficient size and scope to support the effective implementation
of the services and activities described in subsection (d)(1).
(b)An eligible entity that desires to receive funds under
this section shall submit an application to the designated State agency. Such
application shall provide a plan detailing the roles and responsibilities of
partnership members and how funds will be used in conjunction with funding from
other public or private sources to carry out the activities described in
subsection (d).
(c)In
allocating funds under this section, a State agency shall give priority to
eligible entities that—
(1)include entities
with demonstrated success in recruiting and preparing low-income women for
nontraditional occupations, and local workforce boards established under the
Workforce Investment Act; or
(2)leverage
additional public and private resources to fund training programs, including
cash or in-kind matches from employers.
(d)
(1)An eligible entity receiving funds under this section
shall—
(A)conduct public
education and outreach designed to overcome stereotypes and develop family
support and encouragement;
(B)recruit low-income women for careers in
nontraditional occupations and provide comprehensive career guidance and
counseling, including regional labor market information and projections about
nontraditional jobs and salary information;
(C)conduct individual
assessments and employment counseling, including instruction on the use of
online job search databases;
(D)assist low-income
women to access programs leading to a degree, industry recognized certificate
or credential, and apprenticeship programs that will prepare them for
high-demand, high-skill occupations, including providing information
about—
(i)the
quality and cost of the programs;
(ii)available
financial aid; and
(iii)the use of
self-sufficiency calculators where available;
(E)conduct education
and pre-apprenticeship and pre-employment skill development activities
including basic skills, education, literacy, including financial literacy, and
training;
(F)coordinate with
public secondary education institutions to improve the transition of
participants into—
(i)an institution of
higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1001));
(ii)a
program of study (as described in section 122(c)(1)(A) of the Carl D. Perkins
Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2342(c)(1)(A)); or
(iii)a registered apprenticeship program;
(G)engage in
necessary activities for the recruitment, preparation, placement, and retention
of participants in registered apprenticeships, and postsecondary training
programs, and permanent employment;
(H)provide access to
pre- and post-placement supportive services such as child care, transportation,
tools, application fees, dues, needs-based payments or stipends, and
mentorships as may be necessary to complete training and retain
employment;
(I)develop or obtain
curricula, handbooks, tools and equipment;
(J)build capacity
through staff training, organizational development and technology
upgrades;
(K)engage in
activities requested by the national clearinghouse established pursuant to
section 9;
(L)develop incentives for employers and
sponsors of registered apprenticeship program to retain women in nontraditional
occupations for more than 6 months;
(M)provide technical
assistance to employers on how to create a safe and healthy workplace
environment designed to retain and advance women, including best practices for
addressing sexual harassment;
(N)provide
post-placement assistance to participants in order to promote employment
retention, including exit interviews, mentoring, networking and leadership
development for women employed in the field; and
(O)develop and collect data, consistent with
the requirements of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, to track women by
race, ethnicity, and age throughout the process and establish benchmarks such
as numbers contacted through outreach, placement into training and completion
rates, and employment outcomes, including earnings progression.
(2)In providing services and activities described in
paragraph (1), eligible entities shall target women with family incomes below
the local self-sufficiency standard, when available, or women in families with
income of less than 200 percent of the poverty threshold (as determined by the
Bureau of the Census).
(e)Funds provided under
this section shall supplement and not supplant other Federal, State, or local
funds that would, in the absence of funds provided under this section, be
available for the purposes described in this section.
6.Allocations to
eligible entities
(a)
(1)In any year in which the total amount appropriated under
section 11 is an amount less than $50,000,000, the Secretary of Labor shall,
from the amount appropriated under section 11 to carry out this section,
allocate funds to eligible entities to support the recruitment, training,
placement, and retention of women in nontraditional occupations.
(2)An allocation under this section shall be made to an
eligible entity for not more than 2 years with the possibility of multi-year
renewals upon submission of a renewal application containing
information—
(A)about the
effectiveness of the services and activities provided under section (5)(d)(1)
using the funds made available under the first allocation; and
(B)any such
additional information as the Secretary may require.
(3)An allocation under this section to an eligible entity
shall be of sufficient size and scope to support the effective implementation
of the services and activities described in subsection (d).
(b)An eligible entity desiring to receive an
allocation under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary of
Labor at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the
Secretary may require. An application shall provide a plan detailing the roles
and responsibilities of partnership members and how funds will be used in
conjunction with funding from other public or private sources to carry out the
services and activities described in subsection (d).
(c)In
awarding grants under this section, the Secretary of Labor shall give priority
to eligible entities that—
(1)include entities
with demonstrated success in recruiting and preparing low-income women for
nontraditional occupations, and local workforce boards created under the
Workforce Investment Act; or
(2)leverage
additional public and private resources to fund training programs, including
cash or in-kind matches from participating employers.
(d)An eligible entity receiving funds under this section shall
uses such funds to carry out the services and activities described in section
5(d).
(e)Funds provided under this section shall supplement and
not supplant other Federal, State, or local funds that would, in the absence of
funds provided under this section, be available for the purposes described in
this section.
7.National
commission on the status of women in high–demand and high–wage nontraditional
occupations
(a)The Secretary of
Labor, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, shall convene a
national commission (in this section referred to as the
Commission
) for the purpose of examining and making
recommendations for improving the status of women in high-demand, high-wage
nontraditional occupations.
(b)The Commission shall include 30 members, of
which 15 members shall be appointed by the President, 5 members by the Speaker
and 3 members by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, and 4
members by the majority leader and 3 members by the minority leader of the
Senate. Members shall include representatives from—
(1)business or trade associations in
industries with high-wage, high-demand nontraditional occupations and sponsors
of registered apprenticeship program;
(2)women’s
organizations and other nonprofit organizations serving low-income
women;
(3)labor unions and labor-management
organizations;
(4)high school and
public postsecondary education institutions;
(5)State workforce
and economic development agencies or agencies responsible for the Workforce
Investment Act and the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act;
and
(6)academics,
researchers, and other stakeholders.
A minimum
of 10 members must have demonstrated experience in serving low-income
women.(c)The
duties of the Commission shall be to—
(1)develop a 5-year
plan to encourage the full participation of women in high-wage, high-demand
nontraditional occupations;
(2)hold hearings on
the national and regional levels on the goal of ending gender segregation in
occupations, particularly the underrepresentation of women in high-demand,
high-wage occupations;
(3)recommend policies
and programs, including the establishment of sanctions and bonuses for Federal
contractors in designated sectors and the use of on-site equal opportunity
monitors on all large federally funded projects; and
(4)submit its
progress report and policy recommendations to Congress and related Federal
agencies not later than 1 year after the Commission is convened and every 2
years thereafter.
8.Data collection
and reportingThe Bureau of
Labor Statistics shall collect data on the status of women’s participation in
underrepresented sectors of the economy and shall examine the status of women
in relation to that of men. Such data shall include—
(1)the gender, race,
age of participants, including cross tabulations of those three;
(2)occupation;
(3)geography;
(4)advancement
salary;
(5)pay equity within
categories within occupations; and
(6)assignment
disparity measured as through income and hours worked.
The Bureau shall collect such information on an
annual basis and submit it to relevant Federal agencies (including the
Departments of Labor, Education, Commerce, the commission established under
section 6, and to Congress. The Bureau shall also make such information
available to the public on the Bureau’s Web site.9.The Secretary of
Labor, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, shall establish a
national clearinghouse to collect and distribute best practices. The
clearinghouse shall—
(1)convene national
and regional meetings and conferences to bring together stakeholders at all
levels;
(2)collect and
disseminate best practices of collaborative models for the recruitment,
preparation, placement and retention of women in nontraditional
employment;
(3)provide legal,
policy and technical assistance in order to sustain and advance the promotion,
employment and retention of women in high-wage, high-demand nontraditional
occupations; and
(4)develop and
conduct a national training program, including through distance learning, for
staff, partners and board members of grantees and subgrantees.
10.
(a)Beginning 2 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall conduct an independent,
comprehensive, and scientifically sound evaluation, by grant or contract and
using the highest quality research design available, of the impact of
activities carried out under this Act in promoting the economic
self-sufficiency of low-income women through their increased participation in
high-wage, high-demand occupations where they currently represent 25 percent or
less of the workforce.
(b)Not
later than 4 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, and biannually
thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the results of
the evaluation described in subsection (a).
11.Authorization of
AppropriationsThere are
authorized to be appropriated $100,000,000 to the Secretary of Labor to carry
out this Act, of which a minimum of $3,000,000 is authorized to be used to
carry out sections 8 and 9.