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OPA News Release: [07/29/2004]
Contact Name: Jane Norris
Phone Number: (202) 693-4678

U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao Keynotes Montana Women 2004 Conference Hosted by Sen. Conrad Burns

Women are “Changing Society for the Better”

KALISPELL, Mont.—U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao said today at the Montana Women 2004 conference, that women nationwide are “changing our society for the better” and that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the Bush Administration have worked to ensure that all women have an opportunity to achieve their employment and financial goals. Chao also noted that Montana’s unemployment rate of 4.8 percent—well below the national average of 5.6 percent—reflects the strength of a growing economy.

“It’s great to be here to share with Montana women the tremendous resources available at the U.S. Department of Labor to help women access skills training, educational opportunities, employment and retirement security services. We want women to realize their dreams,” said Secretary Chao. “Senator Burns should be commended for hosting this conference which brings talented people from around the state to focus on the many issues of importance to women,” she said.

Chao noted that women today hold nearly half of all executive and managerial jobs in the United States, creating millions of new jobs and strengthening the nation’s economy. As the first Asian-American woman appointed to a President’s Cabinet in American history, Chao pointed out that women currently hold 50 percent of the top leadership positions at the U.S. Department of Labor.

Chao also said the Bush Administration and the Department of Labor are working to provide women with the opportunities to realize their dreams. For example, women-owned small businesses are growing at twice the rate of their male-owned counterparts. The department sponsored five Women’s Entrepreneurship Summits in the last two years where thousands of women from around the country learned about accessing capital, affordable health care, government procurement, corporate networking and how to grow their businesses through exporting and marketing.

The Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau offers programs to help women train for jobs in expanding career fields. The Gem Nursing program helps young women and others explore careers in nursing, which is one of the fastest growing occupations in America and a focus of President Bush’s High Growth Job Training Initiative. By 2012 it is expected that more than one million registered nurses will be needed in the health care industry. The Gem Set program encourages girls to pursue careers in science, engineering and technology.

The Bureau’s WI$E UP money management program offers women information about building financial security by managing household budgets, saving for the future and using credit wisely. Information about these and other Women’s Bureau programs are located on the Internet at www.dol.gov/wb/.

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