Workforce Development

Investments in job training, skill development and employment services help women reach their potential.

Holly Fischer Storms Capitol Hill

Posted on by Jessica Zetzman

This guest blog post was written by Goodwill of Greater Washington, a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner. The Foundation invests in Goodwill’s job training and support services programs. On October 23rd, Foundation supporters will have another opportunity to support Goodwill by participating in a clothing drive. Bring business clothes and accessories to the 2013 Leadership Luncheon, and help the women and men who participate in Goodwill’s job training programs.

It seems like everywhere you turn these days you hear words like “furlough” and “sequestration.”  Recent budget cuts have cost many federal employees their livelihoods; and with Goodwill of Greater Washington having nine federal contract sites, it has been an issue of serious concern for us.

This past June, Goodwill of Greater Washington participated in Source America’s “Grassroots Advocacy Day.” This event gives agencies from across the country who employ and support individuals with disabilities the opportunity to visit our nation’s capital and advocate to Congress in support of employment for those they serve. This year’s advocacy day focused on attempts to ensure that individuals with disabilities who work in government facilities are not affected by sequestration. Goodwill of Greater Washington was fortunate to be represented by President and CEO Catherine Meloy, Vice President of Contracts Tony Garza, and Holly Fischer who is employed at our U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) contract site. Holly is back to her regular work schedule today, but the recent government shutdown makes voices like hers more important than ever.

When Holly first arrived on Capitol Hill she was very nervous because she wasn’t used to public speaking. “In school I always wanted to be the one holding the flag in the assemblies,” she said. “I never wanted to have a speaking part.”

However, Source America provided several classes for the hand-selected group of advocates to help them become more comfortable with public speaking. With that training Holly felt prepared to take on the opportunity before her.

“A job is more than a way to make money; it is a way to a feeling of self-worth,” Holly told a Senator’s aide. “I know what it’s like to have a hard time finding a job and I know what it’s like to be laid off.” Holly continued by emphasizing the work ethic that she learned as a child. “My father taught me how to work hard and I know how to work hard,” she added. “I appreciate the opportunity to work for Goodwill through the Ability One Program.”

Holly hopes to visit Capitol Hill again one day. Those who saw her in action believe she is a powerful and eloquent speaker. But Holly only wants our elected officials to walk away with one message: that she would not be able to find a good job without the help of Goodwill. “It was well worth it,” Holly said with pride. “If it’s advocating for my job, I will advocate to keep my job. And I will advocate for those who are disabled.”

Holly is a woman of bold conviction who is not only willing to stand up for herself but also for those around her who share similar challenges in life.  Goodwill of Greater Washington is proud to have someone like Holly as an ambassador for our cause!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hph4HkRxoXw&feature=youtu.be

Success Story: National Adult Education & Family Literacy Week

Posted on by Jessica Zetzman

As National Adult Education & Family Literacy Week draws to a close, the work to ensure the success of adult learners in our region continues. The post below, from our Grantee Partner Academy of Hope, reminds us what can be achieved when we all work diligently towards this goal.

Dorothy Reese: If You Believe, You Can Achieve It!

Born in 1938, Dorothy’s childhood was one of abandonment, daydreams and love. Although her mother had dropped out of school, “she had common sense and was smart,” and she encouraged Dorothy to stay in school. But at the age of 15, Dorothy became pregnant and dropped out of school herself.

Then, at 16 Dorothy met Ronald, with whom she has spent the rest of her life, and by 1979 they had nine children.

During the 1980s, Dorothy “always had energy, loved to work, and wanted to get [her] diploma.” But in the face of family health challenges and the death of her 24-year-old son, in 1994 Dorothy went into rehab for alcohol addiction.

Fortunately this led her to “restart” her life. She began a nursing assistant program, worked nights and took classes at Academy of Hope during the day. Though the start was bumpy, she got on track and persevered. She recalls, “I decided I would stay until I got it and that I wasn’t going to drop out.” She later worked days at the YMCA and attended evening classes, and in November 2011, at age 74, Dorothy graduated from Academy of Hope.

About her journey at Academy of Hope, she says smiling, “All the teachers and staff encouraged me – they never forgot me!”

Now, with support from a Small Enterprise Development program called Women Mean Business, Dorothy is starting up her own business making decorative pillows. “God is not done with me. My motto is:  If you believe it, you can achieve it.”

Written by Jan Leno, Academy of Hope volunteer writer.

Why can the restaurant industry be so difficult for women? Spoiler alert: Top Chef Masters got it wrong

Posted on by Jessica Zetzman

Top Chef MastersI haven’t really been following this season of Bravo’s Top Chef Masters, but when I was flipping through the channels this week and saw the DC area’s own Chef Bryan Voltaggio on the show, I decided to tune in. I was intrigued as the latest episode had the season’s remaining contestants paired up and challenged to create complimentary hot and cold dishes with a surprise catch of the day. Shortly into the episode I realized there was only one female contestant – James Beard Award winner Chef Jennifer Jasinski – left in the running and remarked how that’s sadly unsurprising given the male-dominated restaurant industry.

I probably could have left my disappointment there for the evening, if it hadn’t been for a short scene the producers decided to include of the chefs relaxing and enjoying dinner and drinks at a restaurant the night before the challenge. As the chefs chatted, the men remarked to Jennifer that being a chef was a really tough career choice for women because if they stop to have kids they could lose everything they’ve worked for.  Upon hearing that, I stopped. I hoped that the conversation would take a turn, as I really wasn’t looking to get all riled up on a week night, but alas, there it was: a sexist comment in the midst of my supposed-to-be-brainless evening entertainment.

This isn’t the first time Jennifer has been publicly asked the question about her choice not to have children, and she handled it like a pro, talking about how she didn’t want to do anything half-way and wanted to focus fully on her career, and how at the end of the day the staff members in her restaurants were her family.  Now, I don’t know if the conversation continued, if perhaps the male chefs also lamented that their lives were too busy to raise children, and that they, too, made difficult decisions about family and work life balance in the demanding industry, but I do know that if they did, the producers of the show chose not to highlight it on-air. In true pop-culture fashion, Bravo took the road of reinforcing gender stereotypes about the traditional primary caregiver role of women in the household. The producers clearly decided to focus attention on the only female contestant’s decision to not have children, despite the fact that Bryan Voltaggio, for instance, has spoken in interviews in the past about the challenges of being a dad and a chef.

The opening statement by the male chef was true, being a woman in the restaurant industry is tough for a number of reasons, and there are very high barriers to advancement for females in the industry. But insinuating that the path is more difficult for a woman because she would be forced to end her career if she were to have children is downright backwards, as is the decision of the show’s producers to reinforce this archaic idea.

The real reason being a woman in the restaurant industry is hard? Women who work in the industry face systematic discrimination, poverty wages, a lack of sick days, and five times more harassment than the general female workforce, according to a report released by Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United).  ROC United has also found that women are paid 21.8 percent less than their male counterparts with the same qualifications. The wages are even lower for women of color, who are paid 28.5 percent less than their male counterparts. Nearly 37 percent of all sexual harassment charges filed by women with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) come from the restaurant industry – more than five times the rate for the general female workforce, and cases of sexual harassment are often ignored by managers in the industry.

These inequalities exist because the industry perpetuates them. Much like hazing for fraternities, enduring terrible working conditions is seen as a badge of honor in many cases. The latest example of Top Chef Masters continuing to subvert female chefs in the industry and reinforce damaging stereotypes is especially damning. Women are incredibly hard working and capable chefs, line cooks, restaurateurs, waiters, general managers, bartenders and more and should be respected as such.

Oh, and did I mention that the talented Chef Jennifer Jasinski won the seafood challenge that evening? Go get ‘em girl.

Want to continue the discussion of the issues facing women in the restaurant industry? Join us September 24, 2013 for a brown bag discussion with author of Behind the Kitchen Door and Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, Saru Jayaraman. The event information can be found on our Facebook page, here. Please RSVP to Farrell Barnes at fbarnes@wawf.org.

Why aren’t there more apprenticeships for women?

Posted on by Jessica Zetzman

The following post by Zach McDade was originally posted on Metro Trends, a blog maintained by the Urban Institute, a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner. We applaud the Urban Institute for looking at issues through a gender lens and encourage other organizations and researchers to do the same!

Urban Institute Fellow Bob Lerman posted Wednesday about the role of apprenticeships in preparing workers for success, citing evidence that suggests the government should invest much more than it does now in apprenticeship programs.

That post got a lot of attention and generated a lot of good questions. I asked Lerman a few of them as follow-ups. His responses are below.

Your apprenticeship post got a lot of attention. One question suggested that relatively few women have apprenticeships. Is that true? If so, why?

It is true. The main reason is that apprenticeships have been concentrated in male-dominated industries, especially construction and plant-level work in manufacturing. Governments have sponsored initiatives to attract women to these fields with only modest success.

So why do you think apprenticeships haven’t flourished in industries more popular with women?

Because policymakers have failed to make expanding apprenticeship a priority, and creating an apprenticeship program is complicated for most employers.

Which traditionally women-dominated industries might benefit from increased investment?

Health and finance are two major industries in which women make up a high share of employers. Both could benefit from having more well-structured apprenticeships. Child care and elder care could use apprenticeships to raise quality and build inclusive job ladders.

What are some of the benefits women might expect to see?

If apprenticeships became more widespread across industries, women would benefit for the same reasons men benefit—earning while learning, increasing their skills, obtaining a valued occupational credential, and becoming a proud member of a community of practice. Quality apprenticeships can also upgrade the image and quality of women-dominated professions, such as child care, that currently pay low wages and garner little prestige.

What about minority workers? Would they see the same benefits from greater apprenticeship investment?

Black and Hispanic workers make up about 30 percent of apprentices. They likely benefit more than non-Hispanic white workers because they are currently less successful in academic-only settings. Also, because employers hire apprentices on a temporary basis and watch them work and learn in their companies, apprenticeships can reduce discrimination based on group identities.

You seem to see apprenticeships as a missing link in preparing our workers, especially workers without college degrees, for gainful employment. What are the next steps?

The key is to expand significantly the number of apprenticeship slots sponsored by employers. Moving to scale in this sense is difficult but not impossible. It requires three steps that should be taken simultaneously: 1) engaging political leadership at a high level, such as a president or a governor; 2) launching statewide marketing campaigns, including publicity targeted at specific industry sectors; and 3) selling apprenticeship to individual firms (think of it as a retail approach) as well as providing technical assistance to organize and validate programs at the firm level.

Apprentice photo via Shutterstock