CHAPTER 27—WOMEN IN APPRENTICESHIP AND NONTRADITIONAL OCCUPATIONS

        

§2501. Findings; statement of purpose

(a) Findings

The Congress finds that—

(1) American businesses now and for the remainder of the 20th century will face a dramatically different labor market than the one to which they have become accustomed;

(2) two in every three new entrants to the work force will be women, and to meet labor needs such women must work in all occupational areas including in apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional occupations;

(3) women face significant barriers to their full and effective participation in apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional occupations;

(4) the business community must be prepared to address the barriers that women have to such jobs, in order to successfully integrate them into the work force; and

(5) few resources are available to employers and unions who need assistance in recruiting, training, and retaining women in apprenticeable occupations and other nontraditional occupations.

(b) Purpose

It is the purpose of this chapter to provide technical assistance to employers and labor unions to encourage employment of women in apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional occupations. Such assistance will enable business to meet the challenge of Workforce 2000 by preparing employers to successfully recruit, train, and retain women in apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional occupations and will expand the employment and self-sufficiency options of women. This purpose will be achieved by—

(1) promoting the program to employers and labor unions to inform them of the availability of technical assistance which will assist them in preparing the workplace to employ women in apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional occupations;

(2) providing grants to community-based organizations to deliver technical assistance to employers and labor unions to prepare them to recruit, train, and employ women in apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional occupations;

(3) authorizing the Department of Labor to serve as a liaison between employers, labor, and the community-based organizations providing technical assistance, through its national office and its regional administrators; and

(4) conducting a comprehensive study to examine the barriers to the participation of women in apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional occupations and to develop recommendations for the workplace to eliminate such barriers.

(Pub. L. 102–530, §2, Oct. 27, 1992, 106 Stat. 3465.)

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

Pub. L. 102–530, §1, Oct. 27, 1992, 106 Stat. 3465, provided that: "This Act [enacting this chapter] shall be cited as the 'Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations Act'."

§2502. Outreach to employers and labor unions

(a) In general

With funds available to the Secretary of Labor to carry out the operations of the Department of Labor in fiscal year 1994 and subsequent fiscal years, the Secretary shall carry out an outreach program to inform employers of technical assistance available under section 2503(a) of this title to assist employers to prepare the workplace to employ women in apprenticeable occupations and other nontraditional occupations.

(1) Under such program the Secretary shall provide outreach to employers through, but not limited to, the private industry councils in each service delivery area.

(2) The Secretary shall provide outreach to labor unions through, but not limited to, the building trade councils, joint apprenticeable occupations councils, and individual labor unions.

(b) Priority

The Secretary shall give priority to providing outreach to employers located in areas that have nontraditional employment and training programs specifically targeted to women.

(Pub. L. 102–530, §3, Oct. 27, 1992, 106 Stat. 3466.)

§2503. Technical assistance

(a) In general

With funds appropriated to carry out this section, the Secretary shall make grants to community-based organizations to provide technical assistance to employers and labor unions selected under subsection (b). Such technical assistance may include—

(1) developing outreach and orientation sessions to recruit women into the employers' apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional occupations;

(2) developing preapprenticeable occupations or nontraditional skills training to prepare women for apprenticeable occupations or nontraditional occupations;

(3) providing ongoing orientations for employers, unions, and workers on creating a successful environment for women in apprenticeable occupations or nontraditional occupations;

(4) setting up support groups and facilitating networks for women in nontraditional occupations on or off the job site to improve their retention;

(5) setting up a local computerized data base referral system to maintain a current list of tradeswomen who are available for work;

(6) serving as a liaison between tradeswomen and employers and tradeswomen and labor unions to address workplace issues related to gender; and

(7) conducting exit interviews with tradeswomen to evaluate their on-the-job experience and to assess the effectiveness of the program.

(b) Selection of employer and labor unions

The Secretary shall select a total of 50 employers or labor unions to receive technical assistance provided with grants made under subsection (a).

(Pub. L. 102–530, §4, Oct. 27, 1992, 106 Stat. 3466.)

§2504. Competitive grants

(a) In general

Each community-based organization that desires to receive a grant to provide technical assistance under section 2503(a) of this title to employers and labor unions shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may reasonably require.

(b) Priority

In awarding grants under section 2503(a) of this title, the Secretary shall give priority to applications from community-based organizations that—

(1) demonstrate experience preparing women to gain employment in apprenticeable occupations or other nontraditional occupations;

(2) demonstrate experience working with the business community to prepare them to place women in apprenticeable occupations or other nontraditional occupations;

(3) have tradeswomen or women in nontraditional occupations as active members of the organization, as either employed staff or board members; and

(4) have experience delivering technical assistance.

(Pub. L. 102–530, §5, Oct. 27, 1992, 106 Stat. 3467.)

§2505. Applications

To be eligible to be selected under section 2503(b) of this title to receive technical assistance provided with grants made under section 2503(a) of this title, an employer or labor union shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner and containing or accompanied by such information as the Secretary may reasonably require. At a minimum, the application should include—

(1) a description of the need for technical assistance;

(2) a description of the types of apprenticeable occupations or nontraditional occupations in which the employer or labor union would like to train or employ women;

(3) assurances that there are or will be suitable and appropriate positions available in the apprenticeable occupations program or in the nontraditional occupations being targeted; and

(4) commitments that reasonable efforts shall be made to place qualified women in apprenticeable occupations or nontraditional occupations.

(Pub. L. 102–530, §6, Oct. 27, 1992, 106 Stat. 3467.)

§2506. Liaison role of Department of Labor

The Department of Labor shall serve as a liaison among employers, labor unions, and community-based organizations. The liaison role may include—

(1) coordination of employers, labor unions, and community-based organizations with respect to technical assistance provided under section 2503(a) of this title;

(2) conducting regular assessment meetings with representatives of employers, labor unions, and community-based organizations with respect to such technical assistance; and

(3) seeking the input of employers and labor unions with respect to strategies and recommendations for improving such technical assistance.

(Pub. L. 102–530, §7, Oct. 27, 1992, 106 Stat. 3467.)

§2507. Study of barriers to participation of women in apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional occupations

(a) Study

With funds available to the Secretary to carry out the operations of the Department of Labor in fiscal years 1994 and 1995, the Secretary shall conduct a study of the participation of women in apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional occupations. The study shall examine—

(1) the barriers to participation of women in apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional occupations;

(2) strategies for overcoming such barriers;

(3) the retention rates for women in apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional occupations;

(4) strategies for retaining women in apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional occupations;

(5) the effectiveness of the technical assistance provided by the community-based organizations; and

(6) other relevant issues affecting the participation of women in apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional occupations.

(b) Report

Not later than 2 years after October 27, 1992, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress a report containing a summary of the results of the study described in subsection (a) and such recommendations as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.

(Pub. L. 102–530, §8, Oct. 27, 1992, 106 Stat. 3467.)

§2508. Definitions

For purposes of this chapter:

(1) The term "community-based organization" means a community-based organization as defined in section 4(5) of the Job Training Partnership Act (29 U.S.C. 1501(5)),¹ that has demonstrated experience administering programs that train women for apprenticeable occupations or other nontraditional occupations.

(2) The term "nontraditional occupation" means jobs in which women make up 25 percent or less of the total number of workers in that occupation.

(3) The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Labor.

(Pub. L. 102–530, §9, Oct. 27, 1992, 106 Stat. 3468.)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Section 4(5) of the Job Training Partnership Act (29 U.S.C. 1501(5)), referred to in par. (1), was classified to section 1503(5) of this title and was repealed by Pub. L. 105–220, title I, §199(b)(2), (c)(2)(B), Aug. 7, 1998, 112 Stat. 1059, effective July 1, 2000. Pursuant to former section 2940(b) of this title, references to a provision of the Job Training Partnership Act, effective Aug. 7, 1998, were deemed to refer to that provision or the corresponding provision of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Pub. L. 105–220, Aug. 7, 1998, 112 Stat. 936, and, effective July 1, 2000, were deemed to refer to the corresponding provision of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 was repealed by Pub. L. 113–128, title V, §§506, 511(a), July 22, 2014, 128 Stat. 1703, 1705, effective July 1, 2015. Pursuant to section 3361(a) of this title, references to a provision of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 are deemed to refer to the corresponding provision of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Pub. L. 113–128, July 22, 2014, 128 Stat. 1425, effective July 1, 2015. For complete classification of the Job Training Partnership Act and the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to the Code, see Tables. For complete classification of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 3101 of this title and Tables.

¹ See References in Text note below.

§2509. Technical assistance program authorization

There is authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000 to carry out section 2503 of this title.

(Pub. L. 102–530, §10, Oct. 27, 1992, 106 Stat. 3468.)