Despite its intentions, the federal government has reinforced the segregation of women in the labor force.

Job-Specific Skills-Training

C.J.S. is strongly biased in favor of on-the-job training, with little provision for upgrading in basic literacy and numeracy. The training tends to address employers' short-term requirements and can ignore women's long-term training needs. The Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women believes that teaching non-transferable skills may lead to dead-end jobs.(9)

    The National Action Committee on the Status of Women and the Ontario Ministry of Skills Development agree. NAC believes that it is in the employer's interest that there be a large pool of workers trained for the employer's short-term needs. (10) The ministry's survey reveals that most employers, using government subsidies, are training women in specific computerized office functions - very few in apprentice able trades or executive development: "More training of women is aimed at upgrading skills in the jobs they already occupy, but less with preparing them for more senior or skilled jobs in the organization."

     The danger of over-emphasis on job-specific training is that it inevitably leads to redundancy whenever jobs are changed through technological change; the rapid pace of change requires emphasis on generic and transferable skills.

Training for Traditional Occupations

CEIC's statistics show that since September, 1985, C.J.S. has reinforced training for women in traditional occupations.

    In Ontario, 37.7 per cent of the participants trained in programs sponsored by the Community Industrial Training Committees are women, but less than 10 per cent are being trained in non-traditional occupations. Of the Re-Entry projects funded in Toronto by June 1986, all but one trained women for pink-collar jobs. In the greater Vancouver area by June 1986, only five re-entry projects were aimed at non-traditional occupations.

     It is difficult to persuade women to enter non-traditional occupations, and many CEIC counselors have done their best to promote programs such as Women into Trades and Technology. There are many obstacles, including the attitudes of women themselves.

     The time permitted under C.J.S. (an average of 26 weeks of formal training) is inadequate. You cannot train a woman with a grade nine education to be a mechanic or an appliance repairer in six months. Despite its intentions, the federal government has reinforced the segregation of women in the labor force.

    Bridging programs such as Introduction to Non-traditional Occupations, and WITT which orient women to non-traditional occupations have been cut back in favor of short-term employer-based training. Employers are not encouraged to expand career opportunities for women. Employment Equity Legislation may be the key.

    Women's organizations took heart last June when the Minister of Employment and Immigration, Benoit Bouchard, and the Minister Responsible for the Status of Women, Barbara McDougall, promised to increase programming for women in newly emerging and non-traditional occupations. Nevertheless, nothing short of a comprehensive national strategy will challenge the persistent problem of the occupational segregation of women.