A nontraditional job for women is defined by the Census Bureau as a job in which women compose less than 25% of the work force. These are jobs such as plumbers, truck mechanics, fire fighters, and electricians that are most often filled by men. While we tend to see or think of these jobs as being filled by men, women do not lack the physical or mental strength to become successful in these fields. Women have often performed heavy, physical labor both in and out of the work force. Women who enjoy hard work, working with their hands, and seeing accomplishments first-hand can enjoy nontraditional jobs.

Because of the high skill level in nontraditional jobs, job training is almost always required. Women must be encouraged to pursue training despite the common myth that certain jobs are “men’s jobs” simply because they are most often filled by men. Training for nontraditional jobs is available through Apprenticeships, Technology Centers, and other means. We urge training providers to encourage women to enter training programs in nontraditional jobs that provide a self-sufficient wage and are in high-demand. A list of such jobs that are in high-demand in Tennessee and provide a living wage is available in the Council’s Job Training Report.

In certain occupational fields within Tennessee, the high-demand jobs with very good or excellent outlooks that are deemed nontraditional actually have average wages considerably higher than traditional high-demand jobs in the same occupational grouping. (The average wages for high-demand, nontraditional jobs are 6.69% and over $1.00 greater than the average for high-demand, traditional jobs in Tennessee.) This wage disparity is especially profound for jobs in service sectors, precision production, craft, and repair jobs, and administrative support occupations.

Although average wages of traditional and non-traditional high-demand jobs vary across the state, in every LWIA grouping nontraditional job average wages are higher than traditional job average wages. In service jobs (police, fire fighters, etc.), nontraditional jobs receive an average of 43.36% more money in hourly wages than traditional jobs. In precision, production, craft, and repair occupations (maintenance and repair workers, electricians, construction and building inspectors, etc.), nontraditional average wages lead traditional average wages by 13.4%. In administrative support occupations (computer support specialists, medical records and health information technicians, legal secretaries, etc.), the difference is 20.31% greater for nontraditional jobs.

The wage difference between nontraditional and traditional jobs is most pronounced in metropolitan areas. Thus, we especially encourage women seeking job training in metropolitan areas to consider pursuing training in a nontraditional occupation, as nontraditional high-demand jobs have an average of 11.14% higher wages than traditional high-demand jobs in metropolitan areas. In non-metropolitan areas the average wage difference between nontraditional and traditional high-demand jobs is 7.0% in favor of nontraditional jobs.

When observing average percentages of women in high-demand jobs by occupational groupings (occupational groupings according to the occupational classification system manual of the Bureau of Labor Statistics), one entire occupational grouping proves to be nontraditional. The precision, production, craft, and repair occupations (Category E) are thus those which have the most under representation of women. Interestingly, the high-demand jobs in Category E receive on average a higher wage than the average wage of all high-demand jobs in Tennessee by over $0.30 per hour. The average wage for high-demand jobs in occupational Category E is surpassed only by professional, technical, and related occupations (Category A) and executive, administrative, and managerial occupations (Category B)—categories generally requiring more education than the others.

Women who are seeking job training for employment should therefore seek training in a non-traditional job—especially one in the precision, production, craft, and repair occupations (Category E). Nontraditional jobs in Categories C, (Sales Occupations), D (Administrative Support Occupations), and K (Service Occupations) provide higher average wages and are in high-demand, making employment with trained skills more likely. A number of programs provide nontraditional job training for women and encourage women to enter these fields in an attempt to empower women economically in jobs they may not initially consider. Having these marketable skills provides better benefits, higher wages, job satisfaction, employment choices, and opportunities for advancement.

The Connecticut Permanent Commission on the Status of Women compiled a model resource guide booklet in 2001 and has hosted conferences/workshops for women interested in nontraditional job training. This ideal program in Connecticut will be of use as the Tennessee Economic Council on Women seeks to provide Tennessee women with similar information on what nontraditional jobs are, how women can seek training programs and employment, and resources concerning issues such as sexual harassment that may arise in male-dominated occupations. More information on their report is available at www.cga.state.ct.us/PCSW/.

Through one of many grants under the Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations Act (WANTO) from the Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau and Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW) created the nation-wide Workplace Solutions Project. The Project provides resources for employers and unions to encourage and facilitate the recruitment and retaining of women in nontraditional jobs through providing resources and services to human resources directors, employee recruiters, union officers, and employer associations. Such programs are imperative to promote women in nontraditional jobs through proper information and resources.