WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded $4.1 million in grant funding to help recruit, train and retain more women in quality pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs.

Administered by the Department's Women's Bureau and the Employment and Training Administration, the Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) grants are designed to help women pursue occupations in non-traditional industries to organizations in California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Texas and Washington State.

"The Women's Bureau is honored to administer the Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations grants," said Women's Bureau Director Laurie Todd-Smith, Ph.D. "This grant program provides funding to community organizations to help women reach self-sufficiency by providing the skills needed to pursue careers that they may have thought were out of reach to them."

The 2020 WANTO grant recipients are:

The Women's Bureau formulates standards and policies to promote the welfare of wage-earning women, improve their working conditions, increase their efficiency and advance their opportunities for profitable employment.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Director of the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau Laurie Todd-Smith traveled to Denver, Colorado, with Senator Cory Gardner and Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump underscoring the importance of childcare as the nation’s economy safely reopens.

Advisor Trump, Senator Gardner and Director Todd-Smith toured Bright Beginnings Childcare & Preschool to learn more about new measures being taken to ensure the safety of staff and children. Following, Director Todd-Smith led a roundtable discussion on the important role childcare centers play as part of the nation’s economic reopening.

“For many Americans who have faced unemployment because of the pandemic, getting back to work means having access to child care,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia. “Ivanka Trump’s visit to Colorado highlights this issue and the importance to working families of re-opening child care centers and schools.”

“As we battle the coronavirus and safely reopen the economy, working families need access to reliable and safe child care,” said Women’s Bureau Director Laurie Todd-Smith. “Today’s visit highlights the importance of quality childcare in that pursuit, but also the success of the SBA PPP program. Bright Beginnings is a woman owned business that received a PPP loan and as a result, was able to maintain operations while retaining 90% of its staff. Child care providers are the workers behind the workers as they allow for increased workforce participation by women.”

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a Request for Information regarding the impact of paid family and medical leave on America’s workforce.

Specifically, the Department’s Women’s Bureau is requesting comment on the effectiveness of current state- and employer-provided paid leave programs and the impact that access or lack of access to paid leave programs has on women and their families. The information provided will help the Department identify promising practices related to eligibility requirements, related costs and administrative models of existing paid leave programs.

“Expanding workplace flexibility has long been a priority of the Women’s Bureau. Paid leave may also be valuable in enhancing the upward mobility of women workers and the well-being of American families,” said Women’s Bureau Director Dr. Laurie Todd-Smith. “The Women’s Bureau is interested in hearing from employers, employees, and other interested parties about the impact of various types of paid leave programs for employees of different income levels and employers of different sizes.”

This information-gathering effort will help the Department and the public identify promising practices related to eligibility requirements, related costs, administrative models of existing paid leave programs and access to information about paid leave.

The Request for Information’s comment period will remain open for 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register. Instructions for submitting comments to the Federal Register are included in its FAQs.

Now marking the 100th anniversary of its creation on June 5, 1920, by Public Law No. 66-259, the Women’s Bureau’s mission is to formulate standards and policies that shall promote the welfare of wage-earning women, improve their working conditions, increase their efficiency and advance their opportunities for profitable employment. Learn more about the bureau.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced $4.1 million in grants available to community organizations to recruit, mentor, train and retain more women in quality apprenticeship programs, and to help those women pursue successful careers in manufacturing, infrastructure, cybersecurity, healthcare and other industries.

“Apprenticeships provide a promising avenue for women to gain valuable skills while earning a living,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia. “The grants announced today will help women gain new skills to succeed in the changing economic environment created by coronavirus, while also providing important opportunities for women to work in occupations that traditionally have had fewer women workers.”

The Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) grant program will award $4.1 million to up to 11 community-based organizations to encourage women’s employment in apprenticeship and nontraditional occupations. To be eligible, applicants must provide one or more of the following types of technical assistance:

• Developing pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship or nontraditional skills training programs to prepare women for those careers;
• Providing ongoing orientations for employers, unions and workers on creating a successful environment for women to succeed in those careers; and
• Setting up support groups, facilitating networks and/or providing supportive services for women to improve their retention.

“Women are significantly underrepresented in apprenticeship programs and in high-growth, high-wage science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) occupations generally,” said Women’s Bureau Director Laurie Todd-Smith. “We are proud to administer grant funding that supports women while they pursue apprenticeships. These programs ultimately allow them to improve their skills while becoming increasingly self-sufficient.”

Apprenticeships offer workers new opportunities and help companies recruit, develop and retain a highly skilled workforce. In addition to their long history in skilled trades such as construction, apprenticeships are also increasingly found in emerging and high-growth industries like manufacturing, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and health care.

The 2020 grants are administered by the Department’s Women’s Bureau and the Employment and Training Administration. For information about the program, see the Department’s Frequently Asked Questions. A list of 2019 recipients can be found on the Women’s Bureau WANTO page.

The Women’s Bureau’s mission is to develop policies and standards that safeguard the interests of working women, to advocate for their equality and economic security, and to promote quality work environments.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the U.S. Department of Labor commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Women’s Bureau. This centennial celebration is a recognition of the only federal agency focused exclusively on working women.

“Over the past 100 years, the Women’s Bureau has played a central role in supporting women in the workforce,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia. “As our nation’s workers and employers confront a workplace that’s changing rapidly, the Women’s Bureau’s efforts continue to make a difference in the working lives of women across the country. I thank Director Laurie Todd-Smith and the staff at the Women’s Bureau for their service on behalf of America’s working women.”

“Today is a historic day for the Department of Labor and for the Women’s Bureau,” said Women’s Bureau Director Laurie Todd-Smith, Ph.D. “Since 1920, Women’s Bureau unyieldingly sought better working conditions, including the establishment of a 40 hour workweek, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and increased child care access for working women. Simply, the Women’s Bureau has advocated for policies that have improved the working and living conditions of millions of Americans.”

Due to prohibitions on public gatherings and social distancing measures at the Department of Labor, public events commemorating the anniversary will be delayed. However, the Bureau looks forward to commemorating the centennial at a later date. 

The Women’s Bureau will continue to collect testimonials on how the agency’s purpose and efforts have positively affected the lives and work of women and their families. These stories will be highlighted on the Women’s Bureau webpage and on social media with the hashtag #WB100. Share your story and learn more about the campaign, “Our Purpose. Your Work.”

The Women’s Bureau’s mission is to develop policies and standards that safeguard the interests of working women, to advocate for their equality and economic security, and to promote quality work environments. Public events celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Women’s Bureau will be announced once the federal government resumes normal operations.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor is commemorating the centennial anniversary of the Women’s Bureau – one of the department’s longest-serving agencies – with a yearlong celebration that marks its establishment in 1920. 

Today, the department announced plans to celebrate the agency’s centennial with the theme, “Our Purpose. Your Work.” This theme honors 100 years of the Women’s Bureau’s contributions to working women. Learn more about the bureau’s commemoration activities and events at www.dol.gov/wb100.

“In the 100 years since the Women’s Bureau’s creation, women have made immeasurable strides and contributions in the American workplace,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia. “During this centennial anniversary of the Women’s Bureau, we celebrate the agency’s many accomplishments and the tremendous achievements of American working women.”

Established on June 5, 1920, the Women’s Bureau is the only federal agency tasked to focus exclusively on working women. With a thriving economy, strong job growth and unemployment for women at generational lows, the Women’s Bureau continues its efforts to increase career opportunities for women.  

“For a century, the Women’s Bureau has been a consistent source of information, advocacy and innovation for working women,” said Women’s Bureau Director, Dr. Laurie Todd-Smith. “As the 19th director in the proud history of the Women’s Bureau, I am grateful to lead the agency as we set this monumental milestone, honor its valuable work and pave a path forward to support all of our nation’s working women.”

During the centennial, the Women’s Bureau will collect testimonials on how the agency’s purpose and efforts have positively affected the lives and work of women and their families. These stories will be highlighted on the Women’s Bureau webpage and on social media with the hashtag #WB100. Share your story and learn more about the campaign, “Our Purpose. Your Work.”

The Women’s Bureau’s mission is to develop policies and standards that safeguard the interests of working women, to advocate for their equality and economic security, and to promote quality work environments. Learn more about the Women’s Bureau.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.