Connecticut Women's Education and Legal Fund

Contrary to the popular misconception welfare is not something people try to get so they can just sit home and be lazy. People want to work; most human beings have an innate desire to be useful contributors. The problem lies not with the individuals, but with the system. The pull yourself up by your bootstraps mentality is still deeply imbedded in our societal values and rhetoric even though the economic and interpersonal systems that made that possible have long since changed.

Part of this systemic change which was discussed at the Welfare Educational Forum that took place at the Legislative Office Building on Wednesday, February 13^th is the concept of job mobility, and how it doesn’t exist anymore. In times gone by one could start out in a low-wage job and, through a combination of experience, seniority, and hard work, steadily climb the ladder to a position that at the very least offered you and your family some security and often afforded a modestly comfortable life. However this is no longer the case, a department president who fifty years ago began in his company of employment as a secretary or delivery person with no education or experience, will today not give that same position to an applicant with less than an associate’s degree and three years experience (not to mention the credit check, background check, and urinalysis).

Instead of simply cutting funding, under the ludicrous argument that if we give people enough help to keep them out of poverty they will never go to work again, why don’t we take steps to make sure people can work? One of the largest barriers to employment, experience by 23% of participants served by CTWorks, was lack of a high school diploma. Yet only 7.8% of these participants are enrolled in basic education services. Why you ask? Perhaps the answer lies in another fun fact from Wednesday’s forum; CT only spends 4% of its TANF block grant on training and education, as opposed to the national average of 10%. We need to take steps to reduce the welfare rolls by reducing need, not by altering eligibility requirements. Having events in which people can discuss these issues and exchange ideas on how to improve the system are vital.

Photo by UH Manoa Library, “Ad: A good, smart boy wanted for work” June 22, 2012. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic License.

Photo by dr.coop, “Rule of Thirds - Three Degrees”  May 4, 2010. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- 2.0 Generic License.

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Written by Alessandra Burgett. Alessandra is a CWEALF intern and MSW student.

            A recent article details a report from by the National School Boards Association (NSBA) that ranks the United States as fifth in the world for adults holding two- to four- year college degrees.  This rank falls to eighteenth, though, when looking only at two-year degrees.  College retention rates are also not great in the U.S.  While a promising two-thirds of high school graduates immediately enter college, only about half earn degrees.  Failure to follow through on degrees is especially significant at community colleges.  This could be partly due to the focus on four-year colleges in the U.S.  Other countries put more resources into their two-year programs.  This report does not analyze the quality of two-year degrees being earned in other countries, but it is still true that four-year schools are given more focus and funding in the United States.

            More institutional attention should be given to community colleges in the U.S., especially now that mid-skill jobs (those requiring more education than a high school diploma but less than a four-year degree) are on the rise after having taken a dive during the recession. Millions of these jobs are available now and many are on the east coast, according to a study by Georgetown University.  Most required certificates for mid-skill jobs can be achieved through community colleges or trade schools. Students should be exposed to all of the possibilities of mid-skill jobs and two year degrees. The Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund (CWEALF) encourages Connecticut residents to train for mid-skill jobs through the Campaign for a Working Connecticut (CWCT).

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Written by Sarah Trench. Sarah is a volunteer blogger for the Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund (CWEALF).

A recent New York Times article, based on a report published by the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, discusses the positions of high school graduates who are not full-time students. According to a national survey, only 16 percent of people who graduated since 2009 have full-time jobs and 22 percent are working part-time.  Many graduates are pessimistic about their opportunities for future employment and financial success. 73 percent believe that more education could help them, but not many are sure that they will enroll in schools anytime soon.

This article does not clarify the types of further education and college degrees that these graduates believe they need.  The distinction appears to be between those who do and do not have bachelor’s degrees. This ignores consideration of a key sector of the workforce: middle-skill jobs. Middle-skill jobs need a higher level of education than high school but do not require a four-year degree.  Requirements can include associate’s degrees, apprenticeship programs, and vocational certificates.  Middle-skill jobs could likely be the right opportunity for the many high school graduates who are not looking to enroll in four-year institutions.

According to the National Skills Coalition, about half of all employment and job openings in the country are for middle-skill jobs and this trend remains the same in Connecticut.  Many of these jobs offer economic security and an opportunity for increases in wages.  The future growth of Connecticut’s economy depends on workers being able to meet the large demand for middle-skill jobs. The Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund (CWEALF) fully supports the National Skills Coalition’s strong recommendations for Connecticut to encourage and invest in its residents’ training for middle-skill jobs. To learn more about CWEALF’s Campaign for a Working Connecticut (CWCT) please visit their website.

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Written by Sarah Trench. Sarah is a volunteer blogger for the Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund (CWEALF).

Pundits have bemoaned the recent media focus on the federal requirement that employers cover the costs of contraception (as a part of Obama’s Affordable Care Act), stating that “real” issues, such as the economy, are being ignored.  The controversy has centered on the fact that although churches and other places of worship were exempted from the requirement, religiously-affiliated employers were not.  (Obama subsequently rescinded the requirement to exempt these employers as well.)

But contraception IS an economic issue, or so argue several policy analysts in a recent article, and not just because birth control costs money.  Family planning itself can translate into greater earning power and stability for women.  This is especially relevant today, when women comprise 50% of the workforce, with 40% of that number serving as the primary bread winner for their family and an additional 20% sharing the responsibility with their spouses.

Family planning improves a woman’s financial stability in the following ways:

• A woman has the opportunity to make choices about how and when to invest in her education and career.
• A woman can make choices that will increase the chances for a healthier mother and baby, which in turn will help the financial stability of the family.
• In the midst of difficult economic circumstances, such as limited or no health insurance or paid maternity leave, a woman can choose the best time to have her children.

Support a woman’s right to family planning and greater economic security by supporting the Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund (CWEALF).  We work daily to advocate for sexual education and contraception for girls and women, as well as for increased  earning power once on the job market.   Moreover, the CWEALF-led Campaign for a Working Connecticut promotes investment in Connecticut’s workforce, in an effort to help girls and women find stable jobs that will provide them with, at minimum, a livable wage. 

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Photo by parafia-gron on Flickr, “Monument to Pope John Paul II,” uploaded 10/30/09, Original date, 5/13/07, Creative Commons, Attribution- 2.0 Generic License (CC BY 2.0).

Written by Judy Wyman Kelly, a master’s degree student at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work. Judy is an intern at CWEALF this year.

We’ve talked about how there are not women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) career fields. Today I want to talk about how there is additional (and often forgotten) education that women need: soft skills. As this article points out, soft skills are among the most lacking among new college graduates after they enter the workforce.

So what are soft skills? They include writing, public speaking and teamwork skills. These skills will not only give women a leg up on their competition while looking for a job after graduation, these skills are useful and necessary throughout one’s career.

So how can you improve these skills, as a young adult and after entering the workforce? Consider these tips:

·         As a young adult:

• Join school organizations or sports teams– these groups reinforce teamwork, and if you are put in a leadership position, public speaking skills as well
• Take as many English, reading and writing classes as you can
• Take public speaking classes if they are available
• Offer to be the team leader on group projects

·         Your school or university probably offers these kinds of classes or courses that emphasize these skills.

·         After entering the workforce:

• Write your own blog or volunteer to ghostwrite a blog (CWEALF offers these types of volunteer opportunities, if you would like more information, please contact us!)
• Join community sports teams or organizations, like the YWCA or HYPE
• And here are some of the tips from the article:

1.  Get a mentor, someone in the office or outside work who can spot your shortfalls and coach you to improve them
2. Listen openly to feedback from your supervisor
3. Join young professional groups like The United States Junior Chamber (Jaycees), where peers get together to improve their career skills

·         You can find these kinds of courses at your local employment center.

CWEALF has a program called the Campaign for a Working CT (CWCT), which is a diverse coalition that promotes the state’s economic competitiveness through development of sustainable, effective workforce solutions to increase workers’ skills and advance families to self-sufficiency. CWEALF also provides students, teachers and influential community members the information that they need to talk about non-traditional career paths where women are likely to succeed.

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Written by Dorota Glosowitz. Dorota Glosowitz is passionate about women’s rights and is currently a volunteer blog writer at the Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund. 

Sources:

Bill Owens. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved February 23, 2012, from BrainyQuote.com Web site: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/b/billowens167727.html

Howard Getson (12/06/09). Capitoligix Commentary. Retrieved February 23, 2012 from Capitologix Web site: http://capitalogix.typepad.com/public/2009/12/capitalogix-commentary-120609.html

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Written by Lauren Goodman. Lauren is a Community Organizing Major at the UConn School of Social Work and is an intern at the Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund.