Washington Area Women in the Trades (WAWIT)

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On March 19, 2007 the YWCA National Capital Area launched our WAWIT Program nontraditional employment training for homeless and low-income women. Providing such a job training program to women in our community is important to the YWCA because poverty is increasing and becoming more concentrated among Latina and African-American females and in female-headed families.

Many of these women are clustered in low paying jobs in the "pink collar sector" of the economy. "Non-traditional" occupations or those that employ fewer than 25 percent women pay wages that are 20 to 30 percent higher than jobs in the service sector and they are more likely to offer work supports, such as health benefits. The impact of Washington Area Women in the Trades (WAWIT) on the quality of life in our community is such that women who typically find themselves in a cycle of poverty now have the opportunity to provide for their families, become empowered by their self sufficiency and create a stable living environment for themselves and their children.

The YWCA has developed a five point strategy in collaboration with the Community Services Agency of the Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO, and Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW). This five point strategy includes (1) outreach and recruitment, (2) basic skills curriculum, (3) advanced training and information pipeline, (4) case management and (5) institutionalizing career pathways.

WAWIT provides a huge return on investment for the community:

• The greater Washington metropolitan area will have fewer families living in poverty and more families paying higher income and sales taxes. We estimate that within four to six months these newly employed women will have earned income equal to the dollars expended on their training and within as little as five years will have contributed to the tax base a sum equal to the cost of the training.
• Contractors will have a ready resource of skilled women to meet the demands of their workforce and ensure that their workforce reflects the diversity of the community.
• Area residents will have a compelling reason to support construction and revitalization projects that include a training program that directly benefits the area's most needy families.
• In five years over 3,000 women will be provided assistance and over 400 graduates will be prepared for high-skill/ high-wage jobs in the greater Washington metropolitan area.

In order to make this all happen, we need your support. You can help a woman out of the cycle of poverty, provide her with career training, and create a stable living environment for herself and her children. Make an investment in our community today by clicking here and designate your gift in the “Comments” section to Washington Area Women in the Trades (WAWIT). For more information about WAWIT and how you can help, please email wawit@ywcanca.org or call us at (202) 626-0700 ext 18.