Learners Preparing for Occupations Nontraditional for Gender

Eligibility

In Illinois, nontraditional students must be enrolled in a course of study on the Illinois approved nontraditional CIP code list.

 

Strategies for Success

• Present accurate and updated career and labor market information to all students.
• Communicate NTO information to parents/family members at career nights and in newsletters.
• Provide students with hands-on experiences in nontraditional areas.
• Provide tradeswomen role models.
• Provide strength training for prospective NTO females.
• Provide an opportunity for nontraditional learners to get together in a supportive environment to talk about issues and seek peer support.
• Establish a regular review of materials to ensure representation of diverse learners.
• Enlist advisory committees to help find scholarships, jobs, and tools for learners.
• Ask employers that have been successful in recruiting nontraditional employees to recruit other employers.
• Educate employers and employees on overcoming negative stereotypes and biases about hiring nontraditional employees.
• Investigate key issues that commonly affect women, such as job assignments and family care) at prospective businesses.

Source: Illinois Center for Specialized Professional Support (2005). The nontraditional look self-study. Normal, IL: Illinois State University

 

 

Illinois Resources

• Careers Have No Gender Open House Rock Valley College NTO Look project profile.

• Illinois Center for Specialized Professional Support. (2002) Supporting Nontraditional Learners for Success Brochure ( download as pdf) and

• Supplemental Materials (links to Word docs listed below).

• Activities for Professional Development
• Effective Practices
• Resources
• Miscellaneous Information

 

Resources to Explore

 

Printed Resource:

Nontraditional Crosswalks developed by NAPE
(SOC to CIP to Cluster to Pathway)
Female Crosswalk
Male Crosswalk

Benefits of Diversity in the Workplace [pdf]
by ICSPS

Encouraging Girls in Math and Science
This National Center for Education Research (NCER) Practice Guide is the second in a series of IES guides in education. Developed by a panel of experts, this guide brings together the best available evidence and expertise to provide educators with specific and coherent evidence-based recommendations on how to encourage girls in the fields of math and science.

Taking the Road Less Traveled: Educator’s Toolkit to Prepare Students for Nontraditional Careers and Destination Success
Multistate Academic and Vocational Curriculum Consortium
www.mavcc.com

Think Women Can’t Be Poster Series

Are You Man Enough To Be A Nurse?

Discover Nursing Brochure
Free Brochures and Posters

American Careers Magazine
NTO focused Parents Edition
Available from Career Communications
Ph: 913-362-7788
(Limited numbers available from ICSPS)

Breaking Out of the Pink Color Ghetto: Policy Solutions for Non-College Women
Mastracci, Sharon H.
M.E. Sharpe
Armonk , New York 10504

Organizations:

National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity
The National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE) is a consortium of state and local agencies, corporations, and national organizations that collaborate to create equitable and diverse classrooms and workplaces where there are no barriers to opportunities.

Women Employed Institute
The mission of Women Employed is to improve the economic status of women and remove barriers to economic equity.

Nontraditional Career Resource Center at
Rutgers
The NCRC will focus on building collaborations between the education and workforce development communities to help increase awareness of 7th through 12th grade students regarding opportunities in nontraditional career s

Chicago Women in Trades
CWIT works to increase the number of women in the skilled trades and other blue collar occupations and to eliminate the barriers that prohibit women from entering and remaining in non-traditional careers.

Women Work!
Advances economic justice and equality for women through education, advocacy and organizing.

American Association of University Women
AAUW advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research.

Men Teach
Is a non-profit clearinghouse for anyone seeking information about men teaching.

Women in Engineering Programs and Advocates
WEPAN is a non-profit organization dedicated to achieving equity in the engineering workforce. WEPAN’s mission is to be a catalyst, advocate and leading resource for institutional and national change that enables the success of all women in engineering.

Association for Women in Mathematics
AWM’s mission is to encourage women and girls to study and to have active careers in the mathematical sciences, and to promote equal opportunity and the equal treatment of women and girls in the mathematical sciences.

Northern New England Tradeswomen
The mission of this organization of tradeswomen it to help women and girls explore, pursue, and excel in nontraditional careers that pay a livable wage. Their activities include trades training for women and a three week summer camp for girls, Rosie’s Girls.

Video/DVD Resources:

“You Can Be Anything” video and accompanying lesson plans.
Center for Women in Technology

“I Am An Engineer”
Cisco Systems, Inc.

“Success Has No Gender”
College of DuPage, Illinois

“Men in Nursing”
Sauk Valley Community College

Non-Traditional Career Videos
The National Institute for Women in Trades, Technology and Science has created videos of women in traditionally male careers. Each video explains what the job is like and what it requires

Center for Women and Work
Dream Builders Women on the Job (DVD)

Women CAN Build California Recruitment Video
Tradeswomen, Inc.
Phone: 510/891-8773

Electronic Newsletters:

WomenTech Educators
The WomenTech Educators electronic newsletter provides regular information about women in technology.

National Girls Collaborative Project
The NGCP informs readers about projects which encourage middle and high school girls to plan for nontraditional careers.

Games for Students:

Packetville Cisco Systems, Inc.

Could This Be Your Life?
ICSPS

Other:

The American Assembly for Men in Nursing
AAMN provides a framework for nurses as a group to meet, discusses, and influence factors which affect men as nurses.

TECH Equity
TECH Equity is an exciting opportunity to learn how to create standards-based and project-based, gender equitable math, science, and technology lesson plans that: motivates all students through relevant and choice-based work, deliver standards in ways that promote mastery and retention, encourage females and other underrepresented groups to pursue higher-level courses and careers in technical fields, and provides a structured forum to Meet Your Program Goals, as well as your professional and personal goals.

Women in Aviation Resource Center
The Women in Aviation Resource Center supports over 499 educational, historical, and networking resources to empower women in all aspects of aviation.

Work 4 Women
Work4Women, a project of Wider Opportunities for Women, provides tools, strategies and a virtual community to help increase women and girls' integration and retention in high-wage jobs that are considered nontraditional for women.

All Nursing Schools
All Nursing Schools is an online directory of nursing education and careers. This site allows prospective students to: search for schools by location, degree, and/or subject area, compare and research schools, request free information from schools, and explore education options and career paths.

It’s Your Choice: Non-Traditional Career Paths
Hard Hatted Women
4207 Lorain Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44113
Phone: 216/691-4449
Fax: 216/961-0927

Upgrade Your Future: Introduction to Information Technology Careers (Your Guide to Computer-Related Careers)
Women Employed Institute
111 N. Wabash, 13th Floor
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: 312/782-3902
Fax: 312/782-5249

 

Improving Performance on Perkins III Core Indicators:

Annotation: This study reviews recent research on participation and completion of nontraditional programs by organizing the literature into root (direct) causes, and external conditions/constraints. Improvement strategies are then offered for each causal agent. In addition, causes outside the control of the school/program are addressed.

Reference: Sheets, R., Lufkin, M., and Stevens, D. (March, 2003) Improving performance on Perkins III Core Indicators: summary of research on causes and improvement strategies. Columbus, Ohio: National Dissemination Center for Career and Technical Education

Unlocking the clubhouse: women in computing

Annotation: The authors both review existing literature and explore their own research to substantiate the claim that the male domination of computer careers relates to gender-based practices.

References: Margolis, J. and Fisher, A. (2003) Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press

Taking the road less traveled: educator’s toolkit to prepare students for nontraditional careers

Annotation: Taking clues from practitioners, best practices in recruitment, retention, placement and administration for programs serving nontraditional learners are outlined. The follow-up version is titled Destination Success.

References: Multistate Academic and Vocational Curriculum Consortium. (2001). Stillwater, OK: Author. Available at www.mavcc.com

Elementary Resources:

American Careers Magazine, NTO Edition available in limited quantities from the Illinois Center for Specialized Professional Support (ICSPS) through ISBE

Taking the Road Less Traveled , (2002)Multistate Academic and Vocational Curriculum Consortia, Inc. (2002)

Gender Equity Lesson Plans for Teachers

Could This Be Your Life? Free online explorative game

The Girl Who Struck Out Babe Ruth (2000), Jean L.S. Patrick, Carolrhoda Books, Inc. Minneapolis MN.

Vicky the Vet (2004), Felicity Brooks, Usborne Publishing Ltd, London.

Daisy the Doctor (2004), Felicity Books, Usborne Publishing Ltd, London.

People Who Help Us Police Officer , by Rebecca Hunter

A Day in the Life of Zoe the Vet, Monica Hughes