Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations Act
PL 102-530 (H.R.3475), enacted 10/27/1992

PUBLIC LAW 102-530—OCT. 27, 1992 
106 STAT. 3465 
Public Law 102-530 
102d Congress 
An Act 
To assist business in providing women with opportunities in apprenticeship and 
nontraditional occupations. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of 
American in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act shall be cited as the '^omen in Apprenticeship and 
Nontraditional Occupations Act". 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; STATEMENT OF PURPOSE. 
(a) FiNDiNGS.^The Congress finds that— 
(1) American businesses now and for the remainder of 
the 20th century will face a dramatically different labor market 
than the one to which they have become accustomed; 
(2) two in every three new entrants to the work force 
will be women, and to meet labor needs such women must 
work in all occupational areas including in apprenticeable 
occupations and nontraditional occupations; 
(3) women face significant barriers to their fiill and efiTective 
participation in apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional 
occupations; 
(4) the business community must be prepared to address 
the barriers that women have to such jobs, in order to success-
fiilly integrate them into the work force; and 
(5) few resources are available to employers and unions 
who need assistance in recruiting, training, and retaining 
women in apprenticeable occupations and other nontraditional 
occupations. 
(b) FURPOSE.—^It is the purpose of this Act to provide technical 
assistance to employers and labor unions to encourage emplojnnent 
of women in apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional occupa-
tions. Such assistance will enable business to meet the challenge 
of Workforce 2000 by preparing employers to successfiilly recruit, 
train, and retain women in apprenticeable occupations and non-
traditional occupations and will expand the employment and self-
sufficiency options of women. This purpose will be achieved by— 
(1) promoting the program to employers and labor unions 
to inform them of the availabiUty of technical assistance which 
will assist them in preparing the workplace to employ women 
in apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional occupations; 
(2) providing grants to community-based organizations to 
deliver technical assistance to employers and l
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r unions to 
prepare them to recruit, train, and employ women in 
apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional occupations; 
(3) authorizing the Department of Labor to serve as a 
liaison between employers, labor, and the community-based 
organizations providing technical assistance, through its 
national office and its regional administrators; and 
Oct. 27, 1992 
[H.R. 3475] 
Women in 
Apprenticeship 
and 
Nontraditional 
Occupations 
Act. 
Labor. 
29 use 2501 
note. 
29 use 2501. 
106 STAT. 3466 
PUBLIC LAW 102-530—OCT. 27, 1992 
(4) conducting a comprehensive study to examine the 
barriers to the participation of women in apprenticeable 
occupations and nontraditional occupations and to develop rec-
ommendations for the workplace to eliminate such barriers. 
29 use 2502. 
SEC. 3. OUTREACH TO EMPLOYERS AND LABOR UNIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—^With funds available to the Secretary of 
Labor to carry out the operations of the Department of Labor 
in fiscal year 1994 and subsequent fiscal years, the Secretary shall 
carry out an outreach program to inform employers of technical 
assistance available under section 4(a) to assist employers to pre-
pare the workplace to employ women in apprenticeable occupations 
and other nontraditional occupations. 
(1) Under such program the Secretary shall provide out-
reach to employers through, but not Umited to, the private 
industry councils in each service delivery area. 
(2) The Secretary shall provide outreach to labor unions 
through, but not Umited to, the building trade councils, joint 
apprenticeable occupations councils, and individual labor 
unions. 
(b) PMORITY.—^The Secretary shall give priority to providing 
outreach to employers located in areas that have nontraditional 
emplo3naient and training programs specifically targeted to women. 
Grants. 
SEC. 4. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. 
29 use 2503 
(a) IN GENERAL.—^With funds appropriated to carry out this 
section, tiie Secretary shall make grants to community-based 
organizations to provide technical assistance to employers and labor 
unions selected under subsection (b). Such technical assistance may 
include— 
(1) developing outreach and orientation sessions to recruit 
women into the employers' apprenticeable occupations and non-
traditional occupations; 
(2) developing preapprenticeable occupations or nontradi-
tional skills training to prepare women for apprenticeable 
occupations or nontraditional occupations; 
(3) providing ongoing orientations for employers, unions, 
and workers on creating a successful environment for women 
in apprenticeable occupations or nontraditional occupations; 
(4) setting up support groups and facilitating networks 
for women in nontraditional occupations on or off the job site 
to improve their retention; 
(5) setting up a local computerized date base referral sys-
tem to maintain a current Ust of tradeswomen who are available 
for work; 
(6) serving as a Uaison between tradeswomen and employ-
ers and tradeswomen and labor unions to address workplace 
issues related to gender; and 
(7) conducting exit interviews with tradeswomen to evalu-
ate their on-the-job experience and to assess the effectiveness 
of the program. 
(b) SELECTION OF EMPLOYER AND LABOR UNIONS.—The Sec-
retory shall select a totel of 50 employers or labor unions to receive 
technical assistence provided with grante made under subsection 
(a). 
PUBLIC LAW 102-530—OCT. 27, 1992 
106 STAT. 3467 
SEC. 5. COMPETITIVE GRANTS. 
29 USC 2504. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—^Each community-based organization that 
desires to receive a grant to provide technical assistance under 
section 4(a) to employers and labor unions shall submit an applica-
tion to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied 
by such information as the Secretary may reasonably require. 
(b) PRIORITY.—^In awarding grants under section 4(a), tlie Sec-
retary shall give priority to applications from community-based 
organizations that-— 
(1) demonstrate experience preparing women to gain 
emplojrment in apprenticeable occupations or other nontradi-
tional occupations; 
(2) demonstrate experience working with the business 
community to prepare them to place women in apprenticeable 
occupations or other nontraditional occupations; 
(3) have tradeswomen or women in nontraditional occupa-
tions as active members of the organization, as either employed 
staffer board members; and 
(4) have experience deUvering technical assistance. 
SEC. 6. APPLICATIONS. 
29 USC 2505. 
To be eligible to be selected under section 4(b) to receive tech-
nical assistance provided with grants made under section 4(a), 
an employer or labor union shall submit an application to the 
Secretary at such time, in such manner and containing or accom-
panied by such information as the Secretary may reasonably 
require. At a minimum, the application should include— 
(1) a description of the need for technical assistance; 
(2) a description of the types of apprenticeable occupations 
or nontraditional occupations in which the employer or labor 
imion would like to tram or employ women; 
(3) assurances that there are or will be suitable and appro-
priate positions available in the apprenticeable occupations pro-
gram or in the nontraditional occupations being targeted; and 
(4) commitments that reasonable efforts shall be made 
to place qualified women in apprenticeable occupations or non-
traditional occupations. 
SEC. 7. LIAISON ROLE OF DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. 
29 USC 2506. 
The Department of Labor shall serve as a liaison among employ-
ers, labor imions, and community-based organizations. The liaison 
role may include— 
(1) coordination of employers, labor unions, and community-
based organizations v/ith respect to technical assistance pro-
vided imder section 4(a); 
(2) conducting regular assessment meetings with represent-
atives of employers, labor imions, and community-based 
organizations with respect to such technical assistance; and 
(3) seeking the input of employers and labor unions with 
respect to strategies and recommendations for improving such 
technical assistance. 
SEC. 8. STUDY OF THE BARRIERS TO THE PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN 29 USC 2507. 
IN APPRENTICEABLE OCCUPATIONS AND NONTRADITIONAL 
OCCUPATIONS. 
(a) STUDY.—^With fimds available to the Secretary to carry 
out the operations of the Department of Labor in fiscal ^ears 
1994 and 1995, the Secretary shall conduct a study of the participa-
106 STAT. 3468 
: PUBLIC LAW 102-530—OCT. 27,1992 
tion of women in apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional 
occupations. The study shall examine— 
(1) the barriers to participation of women in apprenticeable 
occupations and nontraditional occupations; 
(2) strategies for overcoming such barriers; 
(3) the retention rates for women in apprenticeable occupa-
tions and nontraditional occupations; 
(4) strategies for retaining women in apprenticeable occupa-
tions and nontraditional occupations; 
(5) the effectiveness of the technical assistance provided 
by the community-based organizations; and 
(6) other relevant issues affecting the participation of 
women in apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional 
occupations. 
(b) R
E
P
O
R
T
.
—
^
N
o
t later than 2 years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress 
a report containing a summary of the results of the study described 
in subsection (a) and such recommendations as the Secretary deter-
mines to be appropriate. 
29 u s e 2508. 
SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS. 
For purposes of this Act: * 
(1) The term "community-based organization" means a 
community-based organization as defined in section 4(5) of the 
Job Training Partnership Act (29 U.S.C. 1501(5)), that has 
demonstrated experience administering programs that train 
women for apprenticeable occupations or other nontraditional 
occupations. 
(2) The term "nontraditional occupation" means jobs in 
which women make up 25 percent or less of the total number 
of workers in that occupation. 
(3) The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Labor. 
29 u s e 2509. 
SEC. 10. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION. 
There is authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000 to carry 
out section 4. 
Approved October 27,1992. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 3475: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD. Vol. 138 (1992): 
Sept. 29, considered and passed House. 
Oct. 7, considered and passed Senate.