Archive for the ‘Research’ Category
Posted by sherrysaunders on August 3, 2010
Women veterans are a growing and important part of the U.S. Labor Force. According to the Bureau of Labor statistics in 2009, about 1.9 million of the nation’s veterans served during Gulf War era II (September 2001 forward). About 18 percent of these veterans were women, compared with 3 percent of veterans from World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam era combined.
The VA reports that over 150,000 women will transition from the military over next few years. As of the fall of 2009, women made up more than 14 % of active duty military, more than 17% of active reserves and 15% of the National Guard. Women veterans on average are younger than their male counterparts; this indicates that women veterans will probably be spending more time seeking education and training as they develop their civilian careers.
As these women join student bodies of colleges and universities across the country, will they meet with an atmosphere of acceptance and assistance or one that does not recognize some of the unique problems and challenges they face as they transition back into civilian life? A new issue brief from the American Council on Education’s (ACE) Office of Women in Higher Education (OWHE) addresses some these questions and offers some practical options for institutions of higher learning to help these women veteran students.
Suggestions in the brief, The Female Veteran-Friendly Campus include:
- Seek out female therapists in the community to work pro bono with returning women veterans.
- Open a campus child care center, with slots reserved for the children of veterans.
- Identify a member of the career services staff who knows how to translate military experience for civilian résumés.
- Make a deliberate effort to encourage women veterans to identify themselves and meet other women veterans.
ACE prepared the issue brief based discussions at meetings in Washington, DC, attended by women veterans, representatives of higher education institutions and other experts including BPW CEO Deborah Frett. A survey of 125 ACE/OWHE State Network Coordinators was also conducted.
Women Veterans in Transition, a research project on women veterans conducted by BPW Foundation supports the findings in this new ACE brief. The BPW Foundation research found that the transition from the military into the civilian workforce is a multi-dimensional process. A number of factors need to be considered when crafting programs and services that fully support women veterans as they move into civilian life be it the workplace or an educational setting.
It is so important that all institutions are ready to help our veterans as they make that critical transition from military to civilian life. This brief is an important addition to information needed to support our veterans.
Posted in BPW, Education, Research, Veterans | Tagged: Career Advancement, hero, Veterans, women | Leave a Comment »
Posted by gansie on July 26, 2010
Sometimes women are encouraged to keep it to themselves. To not speak up. To not voice their concerns.
This is not that time.
Working America and AFL-CIO want to hear how you feel about your job, your family situation and how this economy is impacting you. For over a decade Ask a Working Woman survey has been ensuring that today’s women are accounted for.
Be a part of that count.
Take the survey today – Ask a Working Woman Survey 2010.
Posted in Advocacy, Economy, Families, Research | Tagged: Ask a Working Woman Survey | Leave a Comment »
Posted by sherrysaunders on July 16, 2010
Are we dealing with Gen Y in the best way? [TalkingAboutGenerations]
Is LeBron true to his generation? [Bradenton.com]
Boxing for women in the Olympics? [Wall Street Journal Online]
TVs best loved career women [Forbes.com]
Congress largely exempts self from Vet employment provisions [Politico]
Requiting military elite to lead in business [Amercian Chronicle]
Retires will be outliving their retirement [Washington Post]
Higher Education and the pay gap [AACU]
Women stand to benefit from new PTSD change [Statesman]
Vote on Kagan delayed a week [Legal Times]
Why can’t career women just be women – don’t distinguish men [Salon]
Poll: Workplaces support individual’s with disabilities [wfnetwork]
Workplace flexibility addresses workers caregiving needs. [HR.BLR.Com]
Some vet groups find trauma rule lacking [New York Times]
Growing green jobs from an economists viewpoint [NY Times Blogs]
Women owned small business will create 5+ million jobs by 2018 [SmalBizDom]
Even female law partners suffer wage disparity. [Newsweek]
Kagan the post gender justice? [NPR]
Women in non traditional role do heavy lifting in rebuilding Haiti [Cleveland.com]
Tenure track is tough for working mothers [Washington Post]
How much do women spend on shoes? For all of you shoe lovers [Mainstreet]
Posted in Gen X & Gen Y, Gen Yner, Link Love, Pay Equity, Research, Successful Workplaces, mature workers | Tagged: women, Pay Equity, Gen X & Gen Y, Veterans, gender roles, Successful Workplaces, Diversity | Leave a Comment »
Posted by sherrysaunders on June 7, 2010
According the Women’s Bureau at the Department of Labor, the 20 most prevalent occupations for employed women in 2009 were—
- Secretaries and administrative assistants, 3,074,000
- Registered nurses, 2,612,000
- Elementary and middle school teachers, 2,343,000
- Cashiers, 2,273,000
- Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides, 1,770,000
- Retail salespersons, 1,650,000
- First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers, 1,459,000
- Waiters and waitresses, 1,434,000
- Maids and housekeeping cleaners, 1,282,000
- Customer service representatives, 1,263,000
- Child care workers, 1,228,000
- Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks, 1,205,000
- Receptionists and information clerks, 1,168,000
- First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers, 1,163,000
- Managers, all other, 1,106,000
- Accountants and auditors, 1,084,000
- Teacher assistants, 921,000
- Cooks, 831,000
- Office clerks, general 821,000
- Personal and home care aides, 789,000
Where are the construction, green, and IT jobs? Women need to move to non traditional jobs and make more money for themselves and their families.
Posted in Career Advancement, Non Traditional Jobs, Pay Equity, Research | Tagged: women, Pay Equity, Career Advancement, gender roles | 4 Comments »
Posted by YWM on April 22, 2010
Green Website for Women Launched on Earth Day
BPW Foundation Connects Women to Green Jobs
[Washington, DC] – In celebration of Earth Day, Business and Professional Women’s (BPW) Foundation is launching Working Women in the Green Economy (www.bpwfoundation.org/greenforwomen), a new microsite tailored specifically for women seeking information and career assistance for sustainable jobs of the future.
“This new site, funded by the Walmart Foundation, is part of BPW Foundation’s Moving from Red to Green: Working Women in the Green Economy (Red to Green) initiative that connects women to the emerging green economy by providing green job training and resources,” said BPW Foundation Chair Roslyn Ridgeway.
“Women have historically been under-represented in non-traditional industries. Our Red to Green pilot project will help women better understand and identify the sustainable jobs of the future while aligning their skills with those particular jobs,” Ridgeway continued. “We encourage women to seek out jobs that they may not have previously considered.”
The microsite will aggregate tools for green training providers, researchers, employers, entrepreneurs and jobseekers. It features a green jobs feed, newly released research, news articles and social media for green topics. “BPW Foundation wants to ensure that women have access to green and greener job options as well as the skills, information and support they need to succeed,” explained Deborah Frett, CEO for BPW Foundation.
“While resources for finding and identifying green jobs are increasingly available, our site is unique because of its focus on women in the green economy,” said Frett.
BPW Foundation will analyze and organize information with the site serving as a portal for a variety of vital green resources. Access to BPW Foundation’s research and resources on working women and successful workplaces will also be available via www.bpwfoundation.org/greenforwomen.
“Our goal is for the greening of the workplace to include a new range of opportunities for women, as well as other under-represented populations, to compete and contribute. As a result, an inclusive workforce will support a stronger economy and success for businesses, as recent research on diverse workplaces has revealed.” Frett concluded.
The ‘Red to Green’ pilot project funds four training programs to expand organization’s capacity to train women for green jobs. The sites are Vermont Works for Women, VT; CLIMB Wyoming, WY; Philadelphia Veterans Multi-Service and Education Center, PA and Women in Non-Traditional Employment Roles, CA.
BPW Foundation supports workforce development programs and workplace policies that recognize the diverse needs of working women, communities and businesses. BPW Foundation is a 501 ©(3) research and education organization. To learn more, visit www.bpwfoundation.org.
Posted in BPW, Career Advancement, Diversity, Economy, Families, Gen X & Gen Y, Global, Misbehavin' Notification, Research, Successful Workplaces, Sustainability, girls, green | Tagged: Career Advancement, earth day, Economy, environment, equality, gender roles, green, women | Leave a Comment »
Posted by joyinhome on March 10, 2010
Posted in Advocacy, Education, Families, Gen X & Gen Y, Global, HIV AIDS, Health, Research, YWM, girls | Tagged: women, family, Gen X & Gen Y, women's health, health prevention, Politics, equality, policy | Leave a Comment »
Posted by joyinhome on March 3, 2010
Posted in Advocacy, BPW, Career Advancement, Diversity, Economy, Education, Families, Gen X & Gen Y, Research, STEM, Social Media, Successful Workplaces, Workforce Development/HR, Worklife Balance, YWM | Tagged: women, family, Pay Equity, Career Advancement, Veterans, gender roles, Successful Workplaces, equality, work-life balance, Diversity, policy, workplace diversity | Leave a Comment »
Posted by leadlikeagirl on February 8, 2010
Anybody remember that old Almond Joy/Mounds ad slogan? “Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t!”
That’s how I feel about working some days. Some days I feel it…I really, really do. I love my job, I feel like my work matters, and the task at hand is interesting.
Other days…not so much.
Which made me wonder, what is the difference between the days I’m engaged and the days I spend the majority of my 8-hours in the office surfing the web and updating my Facebook status?
When it comes down to it, the answer for me is…INTERACTION!
But what does that mean? Certainly it’s not reasonable to think there will always be an exciting new project, a creative brainstorming meeting, or even constant feedback from my boss to keep me dialed into the workplace every minute of every day.
Although I know I need to motivate myself and do what my employer is paying me to do, I have noticed there are days when that task comes much easier than others. Those days typically involve some kind of interaction within the office (or virtual environment).
When I interact with my colleagues, boss, or clients my motivation is higher to produce…especially when I feel like what I’m doing will benefit the team. Interaction doesn’t have to be constant. In fact, it can come in a number of forms:
- Mentorship from people in positions from whom I aspire to learn
- Being brought into projects and asked for my insight (because even though I might not have the most experience, my perspective is still valuable)
- Having clear goals or deliverables from my boss (there’s nothing worse than coming into work and not being expected to produce SOMETHING by the end of the day/week/month)
- Being told what the bigger picture is and how what I’m doing fits into it
- Having a forum to touch base with colleagues about projects we are working on so we can share, combine or better use resources
- Using social media tools to connect with others & gather ideas about a project I’m working on
Some people may prefer to be left alone to figure things out for themselves. Others may prefer incentive-based motivation. Me…I like to feel like a crucial part of the team.
What about you? How could your employer increase your engagement at work?
- What working environment makes you operate at your best?
- What motivates you to produce?
- What kind of engagement do you just WISH your employer would provide?!
You can post your musings on Young Women Misbehavin’, Facebook, Twitter or email us at kbarrett@bpwfoundation.org
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Posted in Gen X & Gen Y, Gen Yner, Q4U, Research, Social Media, Successful Workplaces, Workforce Development/HR | 2 Comments »
Posted by sherrysaunders on February 3, 2010
Has mentoring helped your career? Tell us about your mentoring or lack of mentoring experiences.
You can post your musings on Young Women Misbehavin’, Facebook, Twitter or email us at kbarrett@bpwfoundation.org.
Posted in Career Advancement, Diversity, Gen X & Gen Y, Gen Yner, Research | Tagged: Career Advancement, equality, Gen X & Gen Y, Successful Workplaces, workplace diversity | 3 Comments »
