WB News Release: [04/05/2004]
Contact Name: Peggy Abrahamson
Phone Number: (202) 693-5052
WB-03-694-DAL

Labor Department’s Women’s Bureau Launches Three New
Programs to Help Women Succeed

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau recently launched three new pilot programs that will help women succeed in the workplace. The three demonstration projects—Flex-Options for Women, Wi$e Up and GEM-Nursing—will be launched in major cities around the country and potentially could be expanded to other regions.

Flex-Options for Women brings together corporate executives and women entrepreneurs who volunteer to mentor women business owners interested in developing flexible workplace policies and programs. The program encourages women entrepreneurs to focus on work redesign and flexible work options for their employees, so that their workers can manage work and life responsibilities more effectively. Flex-Options pilots have begun in six regions, including New York City, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, San Francisco and Seattle.

The Group E-Mentoring in nursing (GEM-Nursing) initiative is designed to increase awareness of the benefits of a career in nursing. GEM-Nursing consists of a dynamic web site, www.gem-nursing.org, which contains valuable information about the nursing profession, educational programs, and links to financial aid resources. The project features online mentoring for young men and women ages 15 to 21 who are interested in learning more about nursing as a career. Volunteer nurse mentors provide guidance and support to young people, by answering questions and sharing career experiences about a variety of nursing disciplines. GEM-Nursing is a demonstration project of the Women’s Bureau in partnership with the University of Michigan School of Nursing and is currently available in the department’s Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago and Kansas City regions.

Wi$e Up is an e-mentoring financial security and retirement savings project that is accessible via the web and at institutions in six regions, including Boston, Atlanta, Dallas, Kansas City, Denver and Seattle. The project is designed to teach Generation X women, ages 22 to 35, the basics of managing money, saving, investing, using credit wisely, buying insurance and retirement planning. The curriculum is available online at www.wiseupwomen.org and at six participating colleges and institutions.

Information about the three projects can be found on the recently redesigned Women’s Bureau Web site at www.dol.gov/wb.

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