Women and Workforce Investment for Nontraditional Jobs or Women WIN Jobs - Requires the Secretary of Labor, in any fiscal year in which the total authorization of appropriations to carry out this Act exceeds $50 million, to allocate grants to states with approved state plans to provide funding to eligible entities (partnerships) to increase low-income women's participation in high-wage, high-demand occupations in which women make up less than 25% of the current workforce.
Authorizes states to use grants for statewide activities, including to: (1) provide technical assistance to eligible entities and to state registered apprenticeship programs and sponsors and joint apprenticeship training councils in meeting their enrollment goal for low-income women in nontraditional occupations; (2) develop policies and protocols that set goals for hiring specific percentages of women into registered apprenticeships and permanent employment openings in publicly assisted projects; and (3) engage in outreach activities and provide training to overcome stereotypes about women in nontraditional occupations as well as gender inequity among employers.
Authorizes the allocation of grant funds to eligible entities to support the recruitment, training, placement, and retention of low-income women in nontraditional occupations.
Directs the Secretary to convene a national commission to examine and make recommendations for improving the status of women in high-demand, high-wage nontraditional occupations.
Directs the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to collect data on the status of women's participation in underrepresented sectors of the economy, and examine the status of women in relation to that of men.
Directs the Secretary to establish a national clearinghouse to collect and distribute best practices.
[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4830 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4830
To promote 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.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 11, 2010
Mr. Polis of Colorado (for himself, Ms. Bordallo, Mr. Brady of
Pennsylvania, Mr. Braley of Iowa, Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, Mrs.
Capps, Ms. Chu, Ms. Clarke, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Courtney, Ms.
DeLauro, Mr. Ellison, Mr. Filner, Ms. Fudge, Mr. Al Green of Texas, Mr.
Grayson, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Hare, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Johnson of Georgia,
Mr. Kennedy, Ms. Kilpatrick of Michigan, Mr. Langevin, Mr. Lewis of
Georgia, Mr. Michaud, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. Nadler of New York,
Ms. Norton, Mr. Olver, Mr. Perlmutter, Ms. Pingree of Maine, Ms.
Richardson, Mr. Sablan, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Schwartz, Mr. Serrano, Mr.
Sestak, Ms. Sutton, Ms. Titus, Mr. Tonko, and Ms. Woolsey) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education
and Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To promote 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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Women and Workforce Investment for
Nontraditional Jobs'' or ``Women WIN Jobs''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
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 work force. 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.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
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 agencie;
(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 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical
Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302).
SEC. 4. GRANTS TO STATES.
(a) Allocation of Funds.--
(1) In general.--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) Reallocation.--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) Submission of State Plan.--
(1) In general.--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 plan.--The 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) Review of plan.--The Secretary of Labor shall review
each State plan submitted pursuant to this subsection within 60
days of receipt.
(c) Use of Funds.--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.
SEC. 5. STATE GRANTS TO PARTNERSHIPS.
(a) In General.--
(1) Allocations authorized.--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) Allocation duration.--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) Allocation amount.--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) Application Process.--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) Priorities.--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) Use of Funds.--
(1) Services and activities.--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) Target participants.--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) Supplement, Not Supplant.--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.
SEC. 6. ALLOCATIONS TO ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.
(a) Allocations.--
(1) In general.--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) Allocation duration.--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) Allocation amount.--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) Application.--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) Priority.--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) Uses of Funds.--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) Supplement, Not Supplant.--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.
SEC. 7. NATIONAL COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN HIGH-DEMAND AND
HIGH-WAGE NONTRADITIONAL OCCUPATIONS.
(a) In General.--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) Membership.--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) Duties.--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.
SEC. 8. DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING.
The 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.
SEC. 9. NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE.
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.
SEC. 10. EVALUATION.
(a) Evaluation.--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) Report.--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).
SEC. 11. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There 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.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness.
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