Eric.ed.gov – Non-Traditional School-to-Work Opportunities for Young Women. Resource Bulletin.

This bulletin presents an overview of strategies that practitioners identify as methods of increasing young women’s access to and success in school-to-work programs in nontraditional occupations. These strategies are discussed: outreach to female students; career information and advising; training for teachers and counselors; math and science education; links with out-of-school programs; success skills; women mentors; parent involvement; and preparing employers and unions. The following institutional strategies are described: (1) including women in nontraditional occupations on advisory councils and hiring women instructors in nontraditional educational areas; (2) including workshops on nontraditional employment in training institutes and offering grant incentives for encouraging nontraditional careers in requests for proposals for local school-to-work initiatives; (3) purchasing textbooks, videotapes, and posters portraying women in nontraditional occupations; and (4) collecting data that link occupations and gender and designating nontraditional occupations for program development. An example of effective practice is provided: Manufacturing Technology Partnership in Flint, Michigan, which provides young women the opportunity to explore high-skill, high-wage careers in the manufacturing sector. A list of 2 publications and 14 organizations for additional information on programs and strategies includes brief summaries describing the organizations’ focus and activities. (YLB)