National Skills Summit

National Skills Summit
Innovative Initiatives: Retail

WomenVenture, Minnesota Teamsters Service Bureau and Auto
Dealerships: Increasing Women's Representation In Automobile Service Jobs

The Challenge:

To meet the high demand for skilled workers in the auto industry.

The Solution:

End barriers to employment for women in the industry, thereby expanding the pool of available and qualified workers.

The Partners:

WomenVenture, a Twin Cities non-profit organization that helps women move toward economic self-sufficiency.

Minnesota Teamsters Service Bureau provides training and workplace transition services for union members, serving thousands of workers.

The Story:

WomenVenture and the Teamster Service Bureau are working with Teamsters Local #974, the Greater Metropolitan Automobile Dealers Association, and individual car dealerships to increase the number of women working in automobile repair and maintenance.

Together they provide technical assistance with personnel policies, recruitment, and apprenticeship policies, and also help identify skilled women who are available to work in the industry.

In addition to increasing the number of women in the industry, the partners are working with several of the largest auto dealerships in Minneapolis to break down barriers to women already working alongside their male counterparts. Making workplaces welcoming to women may include providing private clean-up areas and properly-fitting uniforms, which are a few of the inexpensive recommendations made by the partners. And, at the suggestion of WomenVenture, recruitment materials now include pictures of women auto technicians.

Their efforts not only help to end industry stereotypes about women that have previously kept many women out, but also help to prepare women for careers in this historically non-traditional industry. This effectively addresses the skills shortage within the industry, and opens up wider possibilities for women looking to embark upon profitable careers.

The next step is to include area technical schools in this partnership. Dunwoody Institute, a highly-regarded technical college in the area, has committed to being involved in the project, thereby putting women into the regular pipeline for jobs in the auto industry.

This project is funded by a U.S. Department of Labor Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) grant.

A Model of Innovation:

Men have long dominated the field of automobile sales and repairs. Stereotypes, rather than skill differences, have historically prevented women from entering, remaining, and thriving in these occupations. WomenVenture and the Teamsters are wiping out the stereotype and giving dealership owners the confidence they need to recruit and hire women in an industry that needs skilled mechanics of any gender.

Contacts:

Tene Heidelberg, President
WomenVenture
2324 University Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55114
651-646-3808, ext. 104 (p)
651-641-7223 (f)

Jean Dunn, Executive
Director Minnesota Teamsters Service Bureau
3001 University Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55414
612-676-3700 (p)
612-676-3746 (f)