U.S. Department of LaborWomen's Bureau

“Promoting 21st Century solutions to improve the status

of working women and their families”Fiscal Year 2008 Outlook

8/12/08

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Strengthening the Family

The Women's Bureau was created by Congressional mandate in 1920. It is the only federal agency charged to advocate on behalf of women in the workforce.

The Bureau’s mission is to improve the status of wage-earning women, improve their working conditions, increase their efficiency, and advance their opportunities for profitable employment.

The Bureau designs and implements demonstration projects that employ “high tech” (Web sites, virtual conferences, and e-mentoring) and “high touch” (workshops, seminars, and one-on-one counseling) elements.

All Women’s Bureau projects follow a strategic plan, achieve measurable results, and can be replicated by other organizations.

Better Jobs! Better Earnings! Better Living!

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Strategic Goals

USDOL Strategic Goals WB Goals FY 2008 Project

“A Prepared Workforce”

Develop a prepared workforce by providing effective training and

support services to workers

Better Jobs! Increase women’s

employment opportunities

“Strengthened Economic Protections”

Protect and strengthen worker economic security

Better Earnings!

Increase women’s financial security

“A Competitive Workforce”

Meet the competitive labor demands of the worldwide

economy

Better Living!

Increase number of flexible work programs and policies

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Working Women in Transition (WWIT)

Project Goal: To connect women who are making a transition in their work lives with mentors, resources, and learning opportunities to enable them to:

receive an increase in wages/salary or a promotion

find employment or start a business enter into post-secondary or graduate

degree education or a certification or licensing program.

WWIT provides access to face-to-face and online mentors (e-mentoring), skill set analysis, job training, job search assistance, childcare, transportation, counseling, and work clothing.

Participants may remain enrolled in WWIT for two years.

University of Kentucky manages the Web site

“This program has opened up so many doors for me

that I didn’t think existed.” – WWIT project participant, Texas

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Working Women in Transition Project Site Population Served Contractor

Windsor & Waterbury, VT (Region I)

Pre- and post-release incarcerated women

Vermont Works for Women

Pittsburgh & Philadelphia, PA (Region III)

Single mothers Pennsylvania Women Work!

Lexington, KY (Region IV) Women in substance abuse recovery treatment program

Chrysalis House

Atlanta, GA (Region IV) Women impacted by hurricanes, working poor, and homeless

YWCA of Greater Atlanta

Chicago, IL (Region V) Asian American women starting a business

Women’s Business Development Center & Asian American Alliance

New Orleans, LA (Region VI) Women impacted by hurricanes Odyssey House Louisiana, Inc.

St. Louis, MO (Region VII) Unemployed, low-income women Connections to Success

Belgrade & Helena, MT (Region VIII)

Rural women Career Transitions

The Career Training Institute

Sioux Falls & Rapid City, SD

Lower Brule & Fort Thompson Native American Reservations, SD (Region VIII)

Native American and rural women

Lower Brule Community College

Southeast Technical Institute

Young Women’s Unity Association of the Black Hills

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New WWIT Project!

Native TrailThe Women’s Bureau is working with Native American women in northern

Arizona, preserving their traditions and showcasing their beautiful art and

handicrafts so that they will be economically self-sufficient.

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Women often have unique long-term financial concerns.

They generally receive lower pension benefits than men due to their relatively lower earnings, are more likely to work in part-time jobs that don’t qualify for a retirement plan, and are also more likely to interrupt their careers to take care of family members.

Wi$eUp Project Goal: To provide financial education to Generations

X and Y women so they will reduce their debt and increase their savings and/or investments

An online and classroom-based curriculum covers saving, credit, debt, insurance, investing, and retirement planning.

Over 80 financial experts answer questions via e-mail. The “Ask the Experts” archive is available online.

Speakers provide financial guidance on bi-monthly Wi$eUp Teleconference Calls. Transcripts and audio recordings are available online.

Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Business and Professional Women/USA, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Financial Planning Association collaborate with the Women’s Bureau to implement Wi$eUp.

Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M University System manages the Web site

Why Wi$eUp?

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Wi$eUp Replications

Organizations Offering Wi$eUp

Job Corps centers & career centers Women’s business centers Adult education providers Employers Universities Correctional facilities Women’s centers Faith-based centers

Pre-release incarcerated women in

Kansas City, MO; Topeka, KS; Gig Harbor; WA; and Dublin, CA

Employees receive Continuing Education Credits from their e-learning site in Texas

Collaborative relationships with community organizations such as a shelter for survivors of domestic violence and a program for girls aging out of foster care in Charleston, SC

Brown bag lunch series for university students in Illinois

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Additional Financial Literacy Projects Wi$eUp for Native Women

The Women’s Bureau collaborated with Native Public Media (NPM) to encourage Native women to learn about finances and saving for the future. NPM created five public service announcements using voices of Native women who participated in a Wi$eUp class.

Building upon the NPM financial literacy outreach efforts, the Women’s Bureau is offering Wi$eUp classroom activities in career centers and tribal and community organizations within the NPM broadcast area. Financial information is shared using an approach that is culturally appropriate to the Native community.

Wi$eUp on Wall StreetIn July 2008, the Women’s Bureau and the Financial Planning Association hosted Wi$eUp: The Benefits of Creating a Financially Savvy Employee, a conference to outreach to companies headquartered in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

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Flex-Options Project Goal: To encourage business

owners to develop workplace flexibility policies and procedures, such as telecommuting, job sharing, and compressed work-weeks.

Corporate executives and workplace flexibility experts establish one-on-one mentoring relationships with business owners to teach them how to develop flexible work policies.

Best practices are shared online and via teleconference calls featuring experienced professionals and leaders in the flexible workplace field.

www.we-inc.org/flex.html

Women Entrepreneurs Inc. manages Web site

Flex in the City Conference

On May 13, 2008, the Women’s Bureau and the City of Houston Mayor’s Office

hosted a conference to share workplace flexibility practices and learn how to

promote flexible work options.

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Women in Nanotechnology

Project Goal: To help existing college/university science programs

increase the number of women interested in the study of nanotechnology

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National Outreach

Women’s Bureau Electronic NewsletterLaunched in 2002, e-News informs the public about the Bureau’s projects and activities.

Leadership ForumsFrom 2004 to 2007, the Women’s Bureau held leadership forums in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The forums brought together women leaders from faith-based organizations, chambers of commerce, corporate America, local industry, and state and local governments. Attendees learned how to replicate Women’s Bureau demonstration projects. The Bureau has expanded outreach activities to promote replication.

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Building on the Past, Envisioning the Future: The Art of Women’s Lives

On March 4-6, 2008, the Women’s Bureau and Women Entrepreneurs Inc. hosted an event in Washington, DC in honor of Women’s History Month.

Workshops Women and America’s Changing

Work Culture The Workforce Dimension Building a Stronger STEM Pipeline for

Women Women in Nanotechnology (WIN):

Community Collaboration to Expand the Workforce Pipeline

Wising Up Financially: A Multi-Generational Perspective

Workplace Flexibility: Innovations Across Sectors

Evening Panel Reception featuring:

Marin Alsop, Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

Ruth DeGolia, Executive Director of Mercado Global

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International Outreach

Council of Women World Leaders Ministerial Fellows Exchange Program, 2006 - Women’s Bureau Director Shinae Chun shared the Women’s Bureau’s expertise and best practices with women members of Parliament, ministers, the Tanzania Media Women’s Association, and the Tanzania Gender Networking Program. She also visited the Maasai Women Development Organization (right).

International Visitors Briefings - Briefings for international dignitaries and women leaders are coordinated with the Department of State and the DOL Bureau of International Labor Affairs. From FY 2002-2007, the Women’s Bureau briefed 800 visitors from over 100 countries.

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Past Projects

Better Jobs! Employer-Driven Older Women Workers Group E-Mentoring in Nursing (GEM-Nursing) Girls’ E-Mentoring in Science, Engineering, and Technology (GEM-SET) Ground Zero Initiative: Building a Pipeline of Women for the Skilled Trades

in Metropolitan New York (Construction Trades Prep) Online Learning for Single Mothers Women with Disabilities Entrepreneurship Women's Museum - Women in Technology Project

Better Earnings! Las Mujeres y el Dinero (Women and Money) Neighborhood Networks Women Managing Those Dollar$

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Region VI: DallasBeverly Lyle, RA

972.850.4700 AR, LA, NM, OK, and TX

Region VII: Kansas City

Dorothy Witherspoon, RA816.285.7233

IA, KS, MO, and NE

Region VIII: DenverFrances Jefferson, RA

303.844.1286CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, and WY

Region IX: San FranciscoJenny Erwin, RA

415.625.2638AZ, CA, Guam, HI, and NV

Region X: SeattleBetty Lock, RA206.553.1534

AK, ID, OR, and WA

Women’s BureauWomen’s Bureau

Region I: BostonJacqueline Cooke, RA

617.565.1988CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, and VT

Region II: New YorkGrace Protos, RA

212.337.2389NJ, NY, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands

Region III: Philadelphia

Lucia Bruce, RA215.861.4860

DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, and WV

Region IV: AtlantaPaulette Lewis, RA

404.562.2336AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, and TN

Region V: ChicagoNancy Chen, RA

312.353.6985IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI

National OfficeShinae Chun, Director

Women’s BureauU.S. Department of Labor

200 Constitution Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20210

202.693.6710www.dol.gov/wb 1.800.827.5335