Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW) created the Workplace Solutions project to develop and maintain an online resources and services network and service for employers and unions who want to increase the access of women and people of color to apprenticeships and nontraditional occupations and to enhance their success and retention on the job.

WOW realizes that diversifying the workforce can be challenging. Integrating women in nontraditional jobs requires organizational change, and introducing change can be difficult. Workplace Solutions presents some of WOW's proven strategies for success in making this change manageable and productive.

WOW's Experience
WOW has been a pioneer in developing training, creating resources, and providing services for nontraditional employment for women since the early 1970s. WOW has worked with many employers and unions to successfully integrate women into male-dominated fields - including the Mortenson Construction Company, Potomac Electric Power Company, and the Carpenter's Union. The resources and services offered in this web site build on the experiences of employers and unions from around the country who have shared their successes and challenges with WOW.

Project's Funding
The Workplace Solutions Project is supported by the Department of Labor's Women's Bureau and Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training and is funded under the Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations Act (WANTO). WANTO provides funding for community-based organizations to provide resources and services to employers and unions on how to recruit and retain women in nontraditional jobs.

Other WANTO grantees include:

• Chicago Women in the Trades - Ashland, Chicago
• Home Builders Institute - Washington, DC
• International Masonry Institute - Washington, DC
• National Council of La Raza - Washington, DC
• Tradeswomen of Purpose/Women in Nontraditional Work (TOP/WIN) - Philadelphia, PA
• Women in Nontraditional Employment Roles (WINTER) - Long Beach, CA
• Women Unlimited - Augusta, ME
• Women's Resource Center - Grand Rapids, MI
• YWCA of Greater Memphis - Memphis, TN

Project Overview | About WOW | Nontraditional Jobs (NTO) | Myths & Facts about NTOs
WANTO Grantees | Contact Information