Education Committee

Sarah H. Rockett, M.A., Chair

Purpose/Description

The purpose of the Education Committee is to advise and assist the RICW on all education related issues pertaining to women.  The committee is made up of members of the Commission who choose to work on educational issues as well as non members from the community who have volunteered to work on specific projects.

Goals

The goal of the Education Committee in FY 2007 was to develop a long-range plan regarding women in non-traditional trades. A non-traditional trade is defined by the Department of Labor as an occupation in which women comprise 25 percent or less of total employment. It is still the case that women are not entering fields traditionally held by men, even though those jobs generally pay more than the jobs traditionally held by women. The Committee began to gather data and to assess the issue of inequity in this area. Initial connections to other organizations interested in the issue were made, specifically:
• The U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau
• Rhode Island Department of Transportation
• University of Rhode Island Urban Field Center
• National Association of Women in Construction
• Big Sisters of Rhode Island
• Girl Scouts of Rhode Island
• Rhode Island Trades Women
• SER Jobs For Progress, Inc.

Fundraising began in FY 2007 for a research project to be completed by the University of Rhode Island Urban Field Center. The research would focus on:

Objectives and Tasks:

1. Develop a profile and set of indicators of RI for non-traditional employment to determine the extent of participation and retention of women in non-traditional careers. Indicators would include gender, age, race, ethnicity, education, immigrant status, migrant worker status, first generation, first language spoken, and percent of high school and college graduation of parents.

Establish baseline data for RI women to access non-traditional careers. Examine the U.S. Census for RI and the RI Department of Labor and Training and other Agencies – define categories. Examine the U.S. Census and other local data sources such as State Policy documents, the RI Department of Labor &Training, and other appropriate agencies. Meet with local unions who have apprentice programs community based agencies like SER: Jobs for Progress; Workforce Development Task Forces: WIC, Workforce Investment Act (WIA)

To analyze gender equity and income patterns associated with woman entering non-traditional careers.

2. To determine the extent of access and opportunity of women into non-traditional careers in the State of Rhode Island.

To define non-traditional careers utilizing standard definition by the U.S. Department of Labor.

To inventory current training and education programs and services available for women to enter these careers.

To examine the number and proportion of women by cohort to be promoted in designated careers.

To examine the findings for trends and patterns concerning women.

To analyze the occupational pattern and female/male percent.

To analyze the occupational patterns in Rhode Island for changes in the proportion of women.

3. To examine and identify the barriers and challenges associated with woman entering and staying employed in non-traditional careers.

Identify several focus groups consisting of representatives of non-traditional employment to discuss barriers and challenges to women in non-traditional fields.

Facilitate focus groups with women currently employed in non-traditional careers.

Findings

1. Identify non-traditional jobs with an over representation of women.
2. Identify the non-traditional jobs that have under representation of woman.
3. Identify the retention rate of women in education and training programs as well as entry in to non-traditional employment.
4. Highlight specific non-traditional careers.
5. Determine the barriers and challenges associated with participation in non-traditional careers.
6. Identify programs and services that remove the barriers and challenges.
7. Draft findings and recommendations to the Rhode Island Office of the Governor and the Rhode Island General Assembly on ways to eliminate barriers and address challenges.
8. Present findings to the Education Committee who will present the information to the Rhode Island Commission on Women.

Additionally, the Rhode Island Commission on Women, in partnership with Big Sisters of Rhode Island (BSRI), the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI), and the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC),began in FY 2007 to seek funding for a Girl’s Non-Traditional Trades Expo (GNTT). GNTT will be a daylong event, geared toward middle and high school girls and their mothers, mentors, big sisters or teachers. GNTT will feature hands-on experiential learning opportunities in trade skills, networking with, and information from, women currently in the trades, and a > luncheon with a successful non-traditional tradeswoman as keynote speaker. GNTT will be held in March of 2008, to coincide with Women’s History Month, International Women’s Day, and Women in Construction Week.