From the Business and Professional Women Foundation
In celebration of Earth Day, Business and Professional Women’s (BPW) Foundation is launching Working Women in the Green Economy (www.bpwfoundation.org/greenforwomen), a new microsite tailored specifically for women seeking information and career assistance for sustainable jobs of the future.
"This new site, funded by the Walmart Foundation, is part of BPW Foundation’s Moving from Red to Green: Working Women in the Green Economy (Red to Green) initiative that connects women to the emerging green economy by providing green job training and resources," said BPW Foundation Chair Roslyn Ridgeway.
"Women have historically been under-represented in non-traditional industries. Our Red to Green pilot project will help women better understand and identify the sustainable jobs of the future while aligning their skills with those particular jobs," Ridgeway continued. "We encourage women to seek out jobs that they may not have previously considered."
The microsite will aggregate tools for green training providers, researchers, employers, entrepreneurs and jobseekers. It features a green jobs feed, newly released research, news articles and social media for green topics. "BPW Foundation wants to ensure that women have access to green and greener job options as well as the skills, information and support they need to succeed," explained Deborah Frett, CEO for BPW Foundation.
"While resources for finding and identifying green jobs are increasingly available, our site is unique because of its focus on women in the green economy," said Frett.
BPW Foundation will analyze and organize information with the site serving as a portal for a variety of vital green resources. Access to BPW Foundation’s research and resources on working women and successful workplaces will also be available via www.bpwfoundation.org/greenforwomen.
"Our goal is for the greening of the workplace to include a new range of opportunities for women, as well as other under-represented populations, to compete and contribute. As a result, an inclusive workforce will support a stronger economy and success for businesses, as recent research on diverse workplaces has revealed." Frett concluded.
The ‘Red to Green’ pilot project funds four training programs to expand organization’s capacity to train women for green jobs. The sites are Vermont Works for Women, VT; CLIMB Wyoming, WY; Philadelphia Veterans Multi-Service and Education Center, PA and Women in Non-Traditional Employment Roles, CA.
BPW Foundation supports workforce development programs and workplace policies that recognize the diverse needs of working women, communities and businesses. BPW Foundation is a 501 ©(3) research and education organization. To learn more, visit www.bpwfoundation.org.