The new global economy increasingly demands more high-skilled and better educated workers than ever before. While more women are working than ever before, many do not have the skills necessary to obtain the high wage jobs needed to adequately support themselves and their families. The American Association of University Women believes that career and technical education (CTE) is increasingly important for women and girls seeking to earn their way in a competitive marketplace. AAUW's 2009-2011 Public Policy Program states, "to achieve economic self-sufficiency for all women, AAUW advocates programs that provide women with education, training, and support for success in the work force, including nontraditional occupations." It further states that AAUW will actively work to strengthen educational programs, including "… vocational education, to improve postsecondary education access, career development and earning potential."1
AAUW strongly believes that access to high-wage, high-skill jobs should be a right for women and girls from diverse racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, age, and disability backgrounds, including training for nontraditional jobs. It is in these fields traditionally dominated by men that women workers can begin to close the persistent wage gap between women and men.
1 American Association of University Women. (June 2009). 2009-11 AAUW Public Policy Program. Retrieved July 9, 2009, from http://www.aauw.org/advocacy/issue_advocacy/principles_priorities.cfm.
