Enzi: Training and Education are Key to Equal Pay
Congressional Desk
March 18, 2010
Cites Wyoming successes at pay equity hearing
Washington, D.C. – The path to closing the earnings gap between women and men lies in providing the skills and training needed to enable more women - and men - to enter new higher-earning jobs, not burdening employers with new, unfunded mandates, said U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.
"The Paycheck Fairness Act," the focus of a HELP Committee hearing, "will subject employers to more litigation, including far larger class action suits and increased penalties, even when there is no evidence that an employer intended to discriminate," Enzi added. "This bill adds more burdensome government reporting requirements that don´t just waste hours of an employer´s time; they also cost money that could be directed towards new hires."
Enzi used an example of a Wyoming program, Climb Wyoming, as a proven way to increase earnings for women without government regulation.
"We need look no further than my home state of Wyoming to find a perfect example of what is happening and what can happen to improve the job skills and training for all Americans. The role of education and training is evident in the results of one such program. "Climb Wyoming" is a not-for-profit program funded through a mix of private and public funds. Its mission is to move low income single mothers to higher paying careers through training and placement assistance. The program has enjoyed considerable success, with program graduates earning double and even triple their pre-program income levels.
"In Wyoming, important sectors of the economy such as energy, natural resources, and construction have faced significant labor shortages and therefore offer very high paying jobs. The reality is that many of these jobs, from heavy equipment operators to carpenters, and from welders to coal miners, are not positions to which women traditionally gravitate. In Wyoming market forces have greatly increased the labor rates for those jobs traditionally held by men, which largely explains the magnitude of the wage gap. Closing this gap requires an increase in training and educational opportunities for women," said Enzi.
Enzi proposes reauthorizing the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) this Congress to ensure workers have access to the education and skill training they need to be successful, and employers have the skilled workforce they need to be competitive. The WIA would train more than 900,000 unemployed workers for high skilled high wage jobs.
Washington, D.C. – The path to closing the earnings gap between women and men lies in providing the skills and training needed to enable more women - and men - to enter new higher-earning jobs, not burdening employers with new, unfunded mandates, said U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.
"The Paycheck Fairness Act," the focus of a HELP Committee hearing, "will subject employers to more litigation, including far larger class action suits and increased penalties, even when there is no evidence that an employer intended to discriminate," Enzi added. "This bill adds more burdensome government reporting requirements that don´t just waste hours of an employer´s time; they also cost money that could be directed towards new hires."
Enzi used an example of a Wyoming program, Climb Wyoming, as a proven way to increase earnings for women without government regulation.
"We need look no further than my home state of Wyoming to find a perfect example of what is happening and what can happen to improve the job skills and training for all Americans. The role of education and training is evident in the results of one such program. "Climb Wyoming" is a not-for-profit program funded through a mix of private and public funds. Its mission is to move low income single mothers to higher paying careers through training and placement assistance. The program has enjoyed considerable success, with program graduates earning double and even triple their pre-program income levels.
"In Wyoming, important sectors of the economy such as energy, natural resources, and construction have faced significant labor shortages and therefore offer very high paying jobs. The reality is that many of these jobs, from heavy equipment operators to carpenters, and from welders to coal miners, are not positions to which women traditionally gravitate. In Wyoming market forces have greatly increased the labor rates for those jobs traditionally held by men, which largely explains the magnitude of the wage gap. Closing this gap requires an increase in training and educational opportunities for women," said Enzi.
Enzi proposes reauthorizing the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) this Congress to ensure workers have access to the education and skill training they need to be successful, and employers have the skilled workforce they need to be competitive. The WIA would train more than 900,000 unemployed workers for high skilled high wage jobs.
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