US Department of Labor's Women's Bureau releases guide to help women prepare for, find and succeed in 'green' jobs

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of "Why Green is Your Color: A Woman's Guide to a Sustainable Career," which is designed to help women find and keep higher paying jobs in the clean energy economy.

The online publication, available at http://www.dol.gov/wb/Green_Jobs_Guide, will help workers learn about a range of in-demand and emerging jobs, as well as job training opportunities and career development tools, in the clean energy economy. The guide also serves as a resource for workforce development professionals, training providers, educators, career counselors and women's advocacy organizations.

"Many occupations in the clean energy economy remain virtually untapped by women," said Sara Manzano-D az, director of the Women's Bureau. "This guide is an invaluable resource that workforce professionals can use to help women transition into higher paying jobs that serve as a pathway into the middle class. It is also a tool to help fight job segregation."

The guide is an outcome of nationwide roundtables at which leaders from the public and private sectors discussed opportunities for women in the clean energy economy. These conversations revealed that an overall lack of awareness and information about nontraditional jobs was a significant challenge to women hoping to succeed in this marketplace. Information about the roundtables is available at http://www.dol.gov/wb/media/green.htm.

Additional resources to help women succeed in nontraditional and emerging job sectors are available by contacting the Women's Bureau at 202-693-6710 or visiting its Web pages at http://www.dol.gov/wb.

The Women's Bureau, established by Congress in 1920, is the only federal agency designated to represent the needs of working women. Today, the bureau's goal is to empower all working women to achieve economic security by preparing them for higher paying jobs, ensuring fair compensation, promoting workplace flexibility and helping homeless women veterans reintegrate into the workforce.