CAMILLE CORMIERWIDER OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN

SEPTEMBER 13, 2010

CCORMIER@WOWONLINE.ORG

Women’s Pathways to the Green Economy

The Boost From Construction Wages

Single mother with one preschooler needs $24,139 to make ends meet, WOW’s national median Self-

Sufficiency Standard in 2007. 60% of such women had income below the national median.

2007 BLS average annual construction salaries: Laborers -- $30,950 HVAC - Refrigeration, Mechanics and Installers -- $40,630 Insulation workers -- $41,480 Plumbers, Pipefitters, Steamfitters -- $48, 442 Electricians -- $48,100

WOW DC area construction training

Washington Area Women in the Trades: 2007 – 2009WOW/YWCA/LOCAL AFL-CIO; basic pre-apprenticeship training

Building Futures: 2009 – 2011 WOW/Local AFL-CIO/Covenant House; co-ed; 6-wk basic pre-

apprenticeship training; hourly training stipend pipeline to union RAPs, contractors

Same ARRA/DOT funding stream as DHS/USCG mega-projectGreen job placements: summer school retrofitters; Washington

Metropolitan Transit Authority Fitness training, case management support to women

Building Futures Challenges

Economic Downturn – Many skilled workers “on the bench,” new job creation still lags

Not a Union Town – 20% of area contractors are union;Disconnect among DC/Suburban Maryland and Virginia;

Disconnected workforce/economic development systems;Uneven local compliance monitoring: First Source Local Hiring

Stipulation, RAPs, PLAs, WIA Training Vendors

High entrance requirements for urban women: High school diploma/GED, strong math skills, drivers’ license, childcare

WOW/Building Futures Opportunities

DC Green Building Act of 2006/Clean & Affordable Energy Act of 2008Requires environmental retrofits to all commercial/public

buildings by December 2012LEED standards for new construction in 2008-2009Annual benchmarks of energy use posted onlineAmends Green Bldg. Act, $4 Billion potential revenue for energy retrofits in certain major

US metro areas; includes DC (Jigar Shah, Carbon War Room)

DC to pilot Sustainable Energy Utility (contractor/training provider hub for contracts, hiring, training

and innovation green energy practices)

Best Practices in Green/NTO Training for Women

Invest in Good Job Developers

Offer Training Stipends

Support Groups (“Saving Our Sisters”)

Individual post-graduation mentoring

Arrange “hands-on” green training volunteer rehabs, internships, supported employment

Green career education/exposure for women and girls(WOW’s “Connections to Careers,” DCMASSC Calculator

www.dcmassc.org – green careers under construction)