Full text of Training Mature Women for Employment: The Story of 23 Local Programs : Women's Bureau Bulletin, No. 256

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TRAINING
MATURE WOMEN
FOR EMPLOYMENT
The Story of
23 Local Programs

Women's Bureau Bulletin No. 256

Fi rst printing : 1955
Second printing: 1956

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
James P. Mitchell, Secretary
WOMEN'S BUREAU
Mrs. Alice K. Leopold, Director
Washington : 1956


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This r eport was prepared in the Division of Research
of the Women's Bureau by Pearl C. Ravner with the
assistance of J ean A. W ells and Annie L efkowitz.

UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTO~ : 1956
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office
Washi ngton 25, D. C. Price 25 cents


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CONTENTS
Page

Foreword ___ ______ ____ __ ____________________ ______________________
Chap ter 1. A WEALTH OF R ESOURCES ____________ ___________________
Role of community organizations ____ _______ ____________ ___
Occupations taught ________ ________ ______ _____ _____ ______
2. I NDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL SEWI NG _____________ _______
Community hand-sewing project: Scr anton___________ ___ ___
Community power-sewing proj ect: H azleton__ _________ __ ___
P ower sewing-machine oper ators: D en ver _____________ _____
Dressm akers and alteration workers: W ashington, D. C ____ __
3. I NSTITUTWNAL H ouSEKEEPL~G________ ________ ___ __ ______
The H annah H arrison School: Washington, D . C _ _ __ _______
A hotel t r aining school: Washington, D . C _ _ __ __ __ _ _ __ __ __ _
Emily Griffit h Opport unity School: D enver __________ __ ____
4. H OUSEWORK AND R ELATED SERVICE J oBs ___________ ___ ___
The ser vice t r aining progr am: New York City ___ _____ ______
The ser vice workers' t r aining progr am : Chicago________ _____
The domestic workers' training program : E ast St. Louis____
5. FooD-SERVICE OccuPATIONs_________________________ ___ __
Wait ress, hostess, and cashier t raining: Washington, D . C ___ _
Commer cial-foods course: Washington, D. C _ __ _ _ __ __ _ _ __ _ _
Wait r ess, cashier , and hostess t r aining: D enver ________ _____
F ood-ser vice t r aining: Chicago_____ ____ _____ _________ _____
6. OTHER EXAMPLES: COSMETOLOGY AND R ETAIL SALES____ ___
Cosmetology: D enver _________________ _____ ______ _______
R etail sales: D enver ________ ______________ ________ ____ ___
7. THE N URSING OCCUPATIONS ________________________ ___ __
R efresher course for r egister ed nurses: New York City ___ ___
Practical-nurse training: N ew York City _____________ __ ____
Nurse-aide t r aining: N ew York City ________________ __ ____
Hospital-attendant t raining: Chicago__ ___ ___________ ______
Pra ct ical-nurse t r aining: D enver ____________________ ___ __ _
8. PRODUCTION WORK IN THE ELECTRONICS I NDUSTRY ___ ___ __
A 4-mont h program: New York St ate ___________ :__ _____ ____
An 18-mont h program : New York State ______________ _____
9. CONCLUSIONS _________ __ __ ____________ ___ __ __ _______ ____
Learning new skills after 35 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ __ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _
Finding a job____ _______ _____ ____ ____ _____ __ ______ ___ ___
Appendix:
Char acterist ics of the 23 t r aining programs studied by t he Women's
Bureau , 1953-54______ _ ___ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ ____ __ __ ____ __ __ ____ _

v

1
2
3

5
5
6

8
9

11
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24
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The Women's Bureau is greatly indebted to the many organizations and individuals who supplied the information on which this
bulletin is based. We wish to thank especially Howard L . Johnson
of the Emily Griffith Opportunity School, V. Charlotte Authier of
the New York City Department of Welfare, Alvin E. Rose of the
Chicago Department of Welfare, Garrett W . Keaster of the Illinois
Public Aid Commission, Genevieve E. Poole of the Hannah Harrison
School, Mrs. Virginia H . Conway of the Washington Restaurant Association, Dr. Estelle S. Phillips of the District of Columbia Board
of Education, Dorothy W eddige of the New York City Department
of Hospitals, S. A. Simrell and Joseph J . Garrity of the Pennsylvania State Employment Service, Mary Bourke of vVashington, D. C.,
and ·w,. A. Parker and vVilliam F. Roselius of New York.
The photographs used are by courtesy of the Emily Griffith Opportunity School, Denver, Colo. ( figs. 1 and 4) ; the Chicago Department of Welfare ( fig. 2) ; the New York City Department of Welfare
(fig. 3).

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FOREWORD
This study was made in an effort to find answers to some of the
problems met by middle-age and older women in looking for work.
The 23 training programs described show not only that matur~
women can learn a new skill but also that they can afterward secure
a job doing the work for which they have been trained. To accomplish this, the women must be willing to learn; the community must
be willing to supply training, counseling, and placement facilities;
and employers must be willing to hire competent workers regardless
of age.
All three conditions existed in the programs dealt with in this report; not because the particular women, communities, or employers
were unique, but because the need was realized and interested people
were able to work together.

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This Report ShowsThat there are training programs which successfully prepare middle-aged and older women
for paid employment.
That there are employment opportunities for
mature women.
That mature women are an important labor
resource for employers faced with a need for
competent workers.
That much can be accomplished with the
facilities at hand in every community.

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TRAINING MATURE WOMEN
FOR EMPLOYMENT

I
A WEAL TH OF RESOURCES
A wealth of resources that can be used to meet the special counseling,
training, and placement needs of mature women job seekers exists in
almost every community. Most of .these resources are found among
established community organizations-the public schools, State employment services, the public welfare authorities, employers, and
many other local groups. New facilities-on a large scale-are frequently unnecessary; what is always necessary, however, is new thinking and willingness to adapt existing facilities to meet newly recognized needs.
This report provides examples of projects established by community
organizations to meet the training needs of women ranging in economic standing from those receiving public assistance to those able to
pay tuition fees at private schools. The programs described were
selected in an effort to show the variety of institutions and groups that
can participate in developing such projects, the wide range of occupations for which mature women can be successfully trained, the
facilities available in both large and small communities in different
parts of the country, and the varied nature of the needs-on the part
of mature women, employers, and the community-that can be met by
such programs. No attempt was made either to survey all programs
that train mature women for employment or to evaluate the programs
visited. Information on a total of 23 training courses was secured
by visiting the following 12 projects:
Project visited

Location

Emily Griffith Opportunity SchooL ______ _ Denver, Colo _____ _____
Department of hospitals ____ _______ .:. ____ _ New York City ___ ___ __
Hannah Harrison School _______________ _ Washington, D. C _ __ _ _ _
Department of welfare ___ ___ __ ____ _____ _ Chicago, Ill________ ____
Joint department of welfare and board of New York City ____ ___ _
education project.
Public aid commission _______ __ ________ _ _ East St. Louis, Ill _ _____
Hotel training schooL ______ ___ _______ __ _ Washington, D. C_ _ _ _ _ _
Joint restaurant association and board of _____ do___ _______ _____
education project.
Community hand-sewing project __ ______ _ Scranton, Pa_____ ___ ___
Community power-sewing project_ ___ ____ _ Hazleton, Pa_______ ____
Electronics company 4-month program ___ _ New York State________
Electronics company 18-month program __ _ _____ do _______ ______ __

N umber of
courses
described

6
3
3

3
1
1
1

1
1
1
1
1

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training mature women for employment

Role of Community Organizations
Existing facilities in almost any city or town can be adapted to assist
mature women in preparing for employment. There must, however,
be evidence of a real need on the part of women job seekers for such
services and, equally important, this need must be recognized by the
community.
One of the chief resources in every locality is the public school system which has the physical equipment and, often, the trained personnel particularly suited to training women for paid employment.
Although the training programs offered by local schools vary considerably from State to State and from town to town, a variety of'
courses are given free of cost in most communities. Many of these
courses are designed primarily to meet the vocational needs of the
young or the recreational needs of adults. In some school systems,
however, considerable attention is given to preparing adult men and
women for paid employment. The Emily Griffith Opportunity
School, the adult-education branch of the Denver public school system, is included in this report as an- example of intensi v0 and varied
vocational training that can be made available through a local public
school system.
Another potential resource which exists in almost every communit y
is the public employment service. In close touch with local employers, aware of the general labor market situation, staffed with trained
counseling and placement personnel, the public employment service
is equipped to stimulate community action and to provide advisory
services. Two of the projects studied- the community hand-sewing
project in Scranton and the community power-sewing project in
Hazleton-were developed primarily by employment-service personnel who not only organized community-wide participation but also
played a large part in operating the programs. In other programs,
the employment service made major contributions by providing specialized recruitment, counseling, and placement services.
Private schools, especially in the larger communities, offer substantial vocational-training opportunities for women who can afford to
pay tuition. In most instances, the courses offered by the private
vocational, trade, or commerciai school are attended alrnpst wholly
by young men and women interested in preparing for a career.
Courses and recruitment programs, therefo re, are usually planned
with the young student in mind. That such schools can also play n,
significant role in preparing mature women for employment is shown
by the activities of the hotel training school described in this report.
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a wealth of resources

City and State agencies responsible for public assistance have, in a
number of communities, developed training programs. Concerned
with helping recipients of public assistance regain economic self-sufficiency and personal self-respect, public welfare agencies in Chicago,
New York City, and East St. Louis established rounded programs that
provide training in basic skills, counseling in work attitudes, and
assistance in securing a job.
One of the chief methods by which workers in this country are
taught specific job skills is on-the-job training. Employers, however,
nmst be willing to hire on the basis of ability regardless of age and
tu open training programs to their mature women employees. Three
of the projects visited-two electronics companies and the New York
City Department of Hospitals-illu strate what employers can do in
establishing training programs which permit mature women to "earn
while they learn."
Community groups, employer associations, unions, women's organizations, and interested individuals can do much to stimulate the
development in their community of services for the middle-aged or
older woman who is looking for work. The programs studied clearly
indicate the importance of such efforts both in creating an awareness
of the need and in establishing functioning projects.

Occupations Taught
The question of which job to learn is one of the most important
confronting the mature woman who desires to prepare herself for
employment. The question of which occupations should be taught
is of equal importance to th(j organizations or groups concerned with
meeting the needs of these women. In both cases, a :µ:iajor factor in
selecting the occupations is the existence of job opportunities for mature women in that particular type of work.
In almost every program studied, the occupations taught were selected either wholly or in part because of local shortages of competent
personnel. The degree of shortage ranged from a serious and continuous need- exemplified by the various programs to· train nursing
personnel-to a one-time local demand for more industrial handsewers.
The types of jobs covered by the training programs include:
Industrial and commercial sewing (industrial handsewer, pov,rer sewing-machine
operator, dressmaker and alteration worker).
Institutional housekeeping (housekeeper, dining-room supervisor, hotel hostess,
linen-room supervisor).
Domestic work and related service jobs (maid, laundress, commercial and industrial cleaner).

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training mature women for employment
Food-service occupations (food supervisor, waitress, hostess, cashier, counter
girl, bus girl) .
Cosmetologist.
Saleswoman.
Nursing occupations (professional nurse-refresher course, practical nurse,
nurse aide, hospital attendant).
Production work in the electronics industry (assembler, inspector, winder or
assembler technician).

These occupations do not in any way reflect all the jobs mature
women can learn successfully. They serve only as examples and specifically exclude office occupations dealt with in a previous report. 1
Another factor frequently considered in establishing a training
program is the length of time it takes to teach a specific skill. Beca use most mature women seeking work do not have the time to invest
in a long training period, occupations were usually chosen that can be
taught in short, intensive courses. In addition, in those instances
where the students were to come from a specific group-such as publicassistance recipients-the general educational level of the group was
taken into account.
The 23 training programs dealt with in this report have been
grouped into chapters on the basis of the occupations or skills taught.
All programs of one organization are not necessarily found in the
same chapter but are reported in the appropriate occupational chapter. (See appendix table.)
The particular projects visited by the Women's Bureau representatives in late 1953 and early 1954 do not represent all those currently
in operation; they serve only as examples of what some communitiesmade aware of the need-have been able to accomplish.
1 "Older"
Women as Office Workers.
Labor, Washington, D. C. 1953. 25¢.

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Women's Bureau, Bull. 248.

U. S. Department of

INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL SEWING
Industria l and commerci al sewing is a field which can provide job
opportuni ties for mature women, since it includes occupatio ns employing large numbers of women 45 years or over. For example, in
1950, over one-half million ·w omen-655 ,000---we re reported by the
Bureau of the Census to be working as operatives and related workers in the apparel industry and over 130,000 women were reported as
dressmake rs and seamstresses outside of factories. Almost one-third
of the operatives were 45 years or over, and two-third s of the dressmakers and seamstresses were in this age group.
Four very differ~nt projects demonstra te the success with which
mature women can be trained and placed as industrial and commerci al
sewers. One project, in Scranton, Pa., trained women for industrial
hand-sew ing; another program, in Washingt on, D. C., prepared
women for work as dressmake rs and alteration workers. Two programs-a public school adult-edu cation course in Denver and a
project initiated by the State Employm ent Service in Hazleton, Pa.trained middle-ag ed and older women to be power sewing-m achine
operators . In all four instances, the classroom work of the mature
women was satisfacto ry and high proportio ns of the "graduate s"
surveyed were placed in jobs-78 percent in Hazleton, 89 percent in
vVashingt on, and almost 100 percent in both Scranton and Denver.
Subseque nt reports from employers of many of the trainees indicated
satisfactio n with their on-the-job performan ce.
The success of the mature women in learning how to operate power
sewing _machines is of especial interest because of the belief prevalent
among some employers , training authoritie s, and personnel officials
that women over 35 years cannot be taught to operate a power sewing
machine at the speed necessary for productio n work. In Hazleton,
37 of the 56 trainees attending the course during the period studied
were women 35 or over, with the majority in the late forties. In Denver, 49 of the 67 women trainees were believed to be over 35 years
and most of these women, it was judged, were in their forties or fifties.

Community Hand-Se wing Project: Scranton
A course to teach mature women the fundamen tal technique s of
industrial hand-sew ing was developed in 1952 by the Pennsylva nia

s

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training mature women for employm ent

State Employment Service in cooperation with other community
groups. Given only once, the course was organized at that time to
meet a pending shortage of industrial hand sewers in the Scranton
area.
A convenient location was found at the Jewish Community Center
where sewing equipment was available, and free supplies were secured from a large local manufacturer who needed such workers. A
home-economics representative was assigned by the Pennsylvania State
College Extension Service as class instructor, while the Employment
Service detailed a counseling staff member to act as both assistant
instructor and as judge of the progress and employability of the
trainees.
Trainees were selected by the Employment Service from their file
of women job applicants. Of the 27 women chosen from the much
larger number available, all were 35 or over and about half were 50
or over. Many of the women were widows; most had limited education and work experience; and all were in real economic need. At
the time they were selected, these women were considered below
acceptable standards for immediate employment but with an employability potential.
One 4-hour class was held each week for 13 weeks. Some of the
essential aspects of industrial sewing covered in the course were : how
to hold a garment while sewing; how to sew with a long thread still
attached to a spool ; how to sew a straight seam ; and how to make
blind stitches, chain stitches, and handmade buttonholes. I nformal
counseling was also available to the women, many of whom were
lacking in self-confidence.
Of the 27 women who started, 26 completed the course. A lmost all
were placed. Those who did not work best under pressure were placed
in jobs as alteration seamstresses in department stores or menders in
laundries. The others secured work as production sewers in awning,
trouser, and coat factories.
Community Power-Sewing Project: Hazleton

A continuing community project which began in June 1953 prepares
unemployed men and women for locally available jobs as power sewing-machine operators. A vacant schoolhouse is the training site, and
rent, instruction, heat, and light are paid for by the State Department
of Public Instruction. The industrial development committee of the
Hazleton Chamber of Commerce contributed $3,600 for the purchase
of 11 power sewing machines, and 4 more machines were donated by
a local machine distributor.
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industrial and commercial sewing

Major responsibility for operating this free program is divided between the Pennsylvania State Employment Service and the Hazleton School District. The Employment Service recruits and tests the
applicants, selects the suitable ones for the class, and places the trainees. The local school authorities select the instructor, determine the
teaching methods, and set the standards for completion of training.
Most of the trainees have been recruited from among job applicants
at the Employment Service in Hazleton. Job seekers interested in the
project are given aptitude tests for motor coordination, form perception, and manual and finger dexterity. The tests are considered
valuable both because they save time and money by eliminating unsuitable applicants and because they can be used as an argument in
encouraging employers to hire trained "test-selected" operators, regardless of age.
Trainees receive individual instruction and proceed at rates commensurate with their ability. The course requires, on the average, 4
weeks of daily attendance for 6 hours each day. The first week is
devoted to developing familiarity with the use and maintenance of
power sewing machines. During the second week, students start learning the basic sewing operations. When trainees complete the total
list of basic operations, the teacher recommends that they practice
further on those performed best. This is done to give the trainees
certain fields of specialization that can be listed when applying for a
job. Inexpensive material is supplied by the school district to allow
the students to make simple garments which are then donated to
charitable organizations. Trainees are also permitted to practice on
their own material and keep the completed garment.
Criteria used by the instructor to determine whether a trainee is
ready to be certified to the Employment Service as a graduate of the
course are: ability to perform all the basic sewing operations; speed
of performance at the machine; ability to get along with others; and
her own opinion about the trainee's chance for competing successfully
in a factory setting. Close communication is maintained between the
instructor and the placement-interviewer at the Employment Service
so that the characteristics and abilities of each individual are kept in
mind when making specific job referrals .
. During the first 6 months the program was in operation, two-thirds
of the trainees were women, over 35 years of age. Many of these
trainees, discouraged at first, exhibited a marked improvement in
their general outlook after completing the course. The Employment
Service successfully placed over three-fourths of the graduates as
power sewing-machine operators in the local needle-trades industry;
information regarding most of the others was not available.
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training mature women for employment

Power Sewing-Mach ine Operators: Denver
In May 1951 the Emily Griffith Opportunity School in Denver responded to a request of the local apparel-manuf acturing industry and
reinstated in its curriculum a power sewing-machin e course that had
been given during World vVar II. In the 2½ years following resumption of this course, 150 women were trained and placed as sewingmachine operators. Most of these women were 35 years or over.
At first, there was a shortage of applicants since the school did not
have the financial resources to publicize the new course. This problem

Members of an industrial sewing class concentrate
operate power sewing machines at high speed.

on

learning

to

was solved when local apparel manufacturers agreed to pay for classified advertisements in newspapers, to post announcement s in their
shops so that employees could spread the news, and to recommend the
course to inexperienced workers applying for jobs. Since then the
course has been filled to capacity and usually has a waiting list.
A major problem arose several months after the course was started
when employers complained that the speed and output of th e graduates were below production standards. Analysis indicated that their
slowness stemmed from two factors : the sewing machines at the school
were old., and the trainees were practicing on scraps of material instead of making whole garments. As the school could not buy new
equipment, industry members on the school's advisory committee for
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industrial and commercial sewing
this course decided to lend the school modern machines. The school,
in turn, made temporary arrangements with the Bureau of Public
Welfare to make whole garments which could then be distributed to
needy families or institutions. As a result, trainees were able to meet
speed requirements.
Classes are held daily over a period of 6 to 8 weeks. As in the
Hazleton program, trainees are given individual instruction and permitted to progress at their own pace. The subject matter is also similar. During the first 4 weeks, students learn the basic sewing operations; in the latter part of the training period, students are assigned
to modern sewing machines and concentrate on attaining speed.
Placements have been relatively easy and are made chiefly by the
instructor since she is familiar with each student's abilities. Women
who are relatively slow are usually recommended to laundries or hotels for repairing linens or to department stores for altering clothing.
Faster operators are sent to production shops. Because the local apparel industry was expanding in 1952-53, job interviews were speedily
arranged for almost every student. Of the 35 women completing the
course during the school year, 31 were placed as power sewing-machin e
operators; 1 became a power sewing-machin e teacher; 1 was employed
as a saleswoman; and 2 were not working.
The value of the course to the women students is illustrated by the
following two examples:
Mrs. A..-A widow past 55 when she entered the class, Mrs. A had to support both herself and her 13-year-old son; her husband's death following a
long illness had exhausted family savings. The only jobs she had been able
to secure in the few intervening years were on a part-time basis as saleswoman or unskilled factory worker at a very low wage. As soon as she
heard about the power sewing-machine course, Mrs. A applied for admission and, determined to succeed, learned quickly. Holding a part-time job
throughout the training period, she completed the course in 8 weeks. Immediately placed as a power-machine operator in a curtain and drapery factory,
she was subsequently reported to be a satisfactory worker by her employer.
Mrs. B.-Over 50, Mrs. B was a widow with no dependents. After her husband's death, she tried to make a living by doing both domestic work and
home sewing. Preferring sewing, Mrs. B soon realized that she had to learn
modern techniques to improve her speed. While taking the course, Mrs. B
also studied dressmaking at night and continued to do part-time work. When
a vacancy for a power sewing-machine teacher was reported by a local institution, she was recommended as an outstanding student and chosen for the
job.

Dressmakers and Alteration Workers: Washington, D. C.
A more comprehensive type of commercial-se wing course is offered
by the Hannah Harrison School, a privately endowed organization in
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training mature women for employmen t

Washington , D. C. Designated as training for clothing construction
and alterations, this course prepares women for employmen t as dressmakers or alteration workers in clothing or tailoring shops, sewing
instructors in retail stores selling yard goods or sewing equipment,
and for self-employ ment as dressmakers . The program is free, and
includes full maintenanc e throughout the 5-month course.
To qualify for admission, women must know how to operate a sewing machine, read patterns, and have some knowledge of dressmaking. With this background , they are taught the special techniques
used by commercial workers to alter and construct clothing for women.
During the course, students must cut, sew, fit, and finish six garments.
They start on a simple article such as a blouse and then .advance t o
coats and suits. In addition, some training time is devoted to work
on slipcovers and draperies.
Only nine women over 35 years of age had enrolled in this course
from the date of the school's opening in 1950 to the time of the
Women's Bureau study in late 1953. (Most of the mature women
students at the Hannah Harrison School attended the institutiona l
housekeepin g course described in chapter 3.) These nine women,
ranging in age from 40 to 59 years, all completed their training. Five
started their own dressmakin g businesses; one was planning to do
so; two were placed by the school .as alteration workers in department
stores; and one became a sewing instructor in a store.

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3
INSTITU TIONAL HOUSEKEEPING
An occupationa l field in which maturity is generally recognized
as an asset is that of institutiona l housekeepin g. Covering a wide
range of specific jobs and skill levels- from executive housekeeper to
hotel maid-this type of work provides opportunitie s for women well
past their youth and makes the most of their ability to deal with
people, their familiarity with household duties, and their willingness
to assume responsibili ty. In 1950, the decennial census reported over
80,000 women employed in public-hous ekeeping occupations . About
85 percent of these women were 35 years of age or over and approximately 40 percent were 55 or over.
The three institutiona l-housekeep ing programs studied by the
·w·omen's Bureau varied considerabl y in origin and development.
However, those in charge all stressed the fact that women are not considered older workers in these occupations until they are well over
50 years and that, provided health is good, opportuniti es for work
continue past 65. Mature women formed the majority of students in
all the courses although, in each case, the program was open to all
age groups. At the privately endowed Hannah Harrison School many
trainees were over 50 years ; at the fee-chargin g hotel training school
104 of the 212 resident students enr<;>lled during the period studied
were women 40 years of age and over; and, at the two evening courses
given by the Denver school, 18 of the 21 institutiona l-housekeep ing
students and 35 of the 40 hotel students were women 35 years or over.
In all the courses, the general opinion of the teaching staff was
that progress depended on individual ability, regardless of age.
·where there was thought to be an age-related difference in learning
ability, it was usually in speed; younger persons tended to learn
faster. This, it was believed, resulted from the fact that older women
had been away from school longer and were not accustomed to studying. In classroom practice and on-the-job performanc e, however, it
was thought that the mature women- because of their familiarity
with related work in their own homes-did better than the younger
women and were particularly well suited for the housekeepin g
occupations .
The placement records of the women trainees corroborate the general impression that institutiona l housekeepin g offers good employ11
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3

training mature women for employm ent

ment opportuni ties for women over 35 : At the Hannah Harrison
School, 93 percent of the women who completed their training during
the period studied were placed ; at least 67 percent of the hotel training
school graduates were placed; and most of the women completin g the
course at the Denver school either secured new jobs or were promoted.

The Hannah Harrison School: Washington, D. C.
Since 1950 this school, establishe d under the will of a local merchant "for the purpose of providing for worthy women, under the
necessity of earning their own livelihood ," has supplied free tuition
and maintenan ce for women selected to attend any one of the four
training courses offered: Institutio nal housekeep ing, clothing construction and alteration s, commercial foods, and office work. Each
course takes approxim ately 5 months and the cost is estimated at
$1,200 to $1,500 for each trainee. The entire program is administe red
by the local Young Women's Christian Association, and the trainees
live and are taught in a special building designed to accommodate
50 students.
At the time of the Women's Bureau study in the fall of 1953, 120
women had been enrolled at the school. The majority -73 womenwere 35 years or over. Of this group, 47 women-a lmost two-third sselected the institution al housekeep ing course which trains women
for executive housekeep ing positions in hospitals, hotels, private
schools, college dormitorie s, and residentia l clubs and lodges. Of
these 47 women, 41 completed their training.
The subjects covered in the course include: purchase, use, and care
of institution al supplies and equipmen t; operation of an institution al
laundry; care and control of linens; floor maintenan ce; sanitation ;
preparatio n of budgets; and employee training. Field trips are
made by the group to various institution s so that the trainees may
observe actual work situations . Througho ut the training, the instructor emphasizes the importanc e of executive and organizat ional
ability and the value of good attitudes and grooming in this type of
work.
Thirty-eig ht of the 41 women who had completed the course were
placed by the school-34 in housekeep ing and related work. Exactly
half of the 38 jobs were in hospitals; the others were in a variety of
institution s. The occupatio ns in which the 38 women were placed
are as follows :
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institutional housekeeping

Job title

Number of
women

Total_____ _______ __ __ ____ ___ _____ ____ ___ ___ ___ _____ ___ ___ __ ____

38

Housekeeper____ ____ ____ _____ ____ _____ ___ _____ _______ _____ __ __ __ ____ _
Assistant housekeeper___ __ ______ __ ______ ____ ___ ___ ___ ___ __ _____ __ ____
Executive housekeeper__ _______ __ __ ____ _____ ___ ______ ______ __ __ _______
Supervisor: maintenan ce, dining, linen ___ __ _____ _______ __ ___ ____ ___ ___
Food preparation ___ ________ ___ ___ __ ______ __________ _____ ___ ___ ____ ___
Clerical--- --- -- - --- - - ---- - - ---- - - - - --- - ----- ----- - - -- - --- ------ ----I-Iousemother - --- ---------------- ---- - --------- ------ - - ---·-- ·-·---- ---Resident coun selor__ __ ____ __ ____ __ ______ ___ ____ ___ __ ____ __ ____ __ __ ___
\Veaving teacher_ __ __ _____ _________ ___ ____ __ ____ __ ___ _______ _________

14
8
4
3
3
3
1
1
1

A general observation made about the older "·omen was that, although many were good students, a considerable number had difficulty
adjusting to a new situation. Chief among these were the women
deprived of emotional, social, and financial security by recent widowhood or divorce. A large number of the mature women fell in this
group. Of the 47 institutional-h ouskeeping trainees over 35 years
of age, 4 were single and 4 married; but 21 were widowed, 14 divorced,
and 4 separated. These women needed- and r eceived from the staffsympathy, encouragemen t, and the kind of counseling which inspired
new hope and confidence in their own ability.

A Hotel Training School: Washington, D. C.
A 4-month course offered by a private vocational school trains men
and women for a wide variety of jobs in the hotel industry. The
tuition fee is $300 and includes instruction, textbooks, and demonstration materials. A permanent placement service is available to all
students completing the course. While positions are not guaranteed,
many graduates secure their first job through the school's employment
register, and all graduates can call on the placement director at any
time for assistance in finding a new job.
The course is divided almost equaUy into three parts which are
taught in the following sequence: "front of house," "back of house,"
and "management and executive." Defined broadly, "front of house"
operations are those concerned with the registration of guests and
with their accommodatio ns ; "back of house" operations · encompass
the preparation and serving of foods and the maintenance of the
premises ; and "management and executive" functions include accounting, special services, and entertainment. The school building
is arranged to simulate a hotel atmosphere and has .demonstration
rooms such as a lobby, kitchen, dining room, and other hotel rooms.
Teaching methods include lectures, assigned reading, demonstration s,
and visits to hotels, restaurants, and bakeries.
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trai ning mature women for employment

Of 212 students enrolled between Septe1nber 1951 and May 1953,
108 were women 35 years or over. Eighty-six of these women completed their training. Almost all were 40 or over, though ages ranged
from 35 to 61 years. These women were willing to move to whatever
locality offered the best employment opportunities. Widows predominated, as they had among the women attending the institutional
housekeeping course at the Hannah Harrison School.
Information available on the placement of the 86 who completed
training shows that more than two-thirds-58 women-were placed in
hotel and related occupations; no information is available on the
placement experience of the other 28 women. The following is a list
of occupations in which the women were placed :
Type of
establishment
and job title

Total ___ ___________________ ___ ________ _____ ___ ________ _____
Hotel:
Front-office clerk _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ __ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _
Housekeeper ____ __ ______ ________________________ ___ ________ ___
Assistant housekeep er ____ ___ ___ ____ __ _____ ________ ____ ________ _
Hostess_____ ___ __ ____ _____ _________________ _____________ ___ __
Manager_____ _____ ______ ___ _______ ________ ______ ______ ____ ___
Food checker _______ __ ___ ___ _____ __________ ___ __ ___ ______ _____
Newsstand operator ________ ______ _____ __ ___ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _
Restaurant: Hostess _ _ __ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _
Hospital: Housekeeper _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _
School:
Dining-room supervisor __ _____________ ___ ___ ________ __ _________
Assistant dietitian ___ ____ __ ________ _. _ __ __ _ ___ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ __ _ _ _
Boardinghouse: Manager ____ __ ____ __ _____ ____ ______ _____ ____ _____ __
Motel: Front-office clerk ____ __ __ _____ _______.. __ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _
Club: Receptionist _____________ ____ ____ __ ___ _______ _____ __ ____ _____
No report __ ____ ______ __ _____ ___ __ __ ____ __ ________ __ . __ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _

Niimber
of
women

86
18
14
1
8
4
1
1

4
2
1
1
1
1

1
28

Summaries of the background and work experience of two of the
women provide information on why they took the course and their
.subsequent work experience.
Mrs . 0-A ·widow 58 years of age whose children ,,,ere grown, Mrs. C's
previous employment experience included 10 years of practical nursing and
a temporary job doing clerical work. She enrolled in the school because she
wanted to learn apartment management and preferred a job that would
involve meeting people. After completing the course, Mrs. C was placed as
a floor housekeeper in a large hotel. She was in charge of several floors,
supervised maids and housemen on these floors, and was responsible for the
cleanliness of the rooms and hallways.
Mrs . D-Forty-eight years old, divorced, and with a mother partially
dependent on her for support, Mrs. D-after spending 21 years as an office
worker-wanted to change her occupation. Immediately after completing

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instituti onal housek eeping
resort
the course, 1\1rs. D ,vas placed as a front-office clerk in an eastern
large
very
a
in
per
housekee
floor
a
as
then
and
season,
summer
the
hotel for
job
hotel. Shortly after, she was offered a more exacting and better paid
hotel.
smaller
a
in
per
housekee
e
as an executiv

Emily 'Griffith Opportunity School: Denver
Two evening courses given at this school, the adult-ed ucation branch
of the Denver public school system, prepare women for work in the
field of public houseke eping. One course, institut ional houseke~ping,
is designe d to train personn el for hospita ls and extends ov~r two school
semeste rs, or 38 weeks. The other course, hotel training , is for one
semeste r only. Both courses are held for 2 hours on 2 nights each
week and are taught by women employ ed as full-tim e executiv e
housekeepers.
·while the instruct ion encomp asses a wide variety of duties, there is
little expecta tion that student s withou t previou s work experie nce in
hospita ls or hotels can step from the classroo m into executiv e positions
as houseke epers or adminis trators. These student s are prepare d, however, for immedi ate employ ment in jobs that entail limit~d responsibility. For student s with experie nce, many of whom were already
workin g in hospita ls or hotels, training assists them to advance .
A recent outgrow th of the institut ional houseke eping course is the
hospita l apprent iceship program institut ed at four of the local hospitals. Each hospita l has accepte d a course graduat e to receive 1 year
of in-servi ce training in executiv e houseke eping. All four trainees
are women over 35 years.
The instruct ors, in both courses, themsel ves mature women employed as executiv e houseke epers, were convinc ed that public housekeeping offered possibil ities for interest ing and reward ing careers.
They found that some of the student s had initially regarde d institutional houseke eping as a menial occupat ion. Howeve r, as the student s
became aware of the duties, respons ibilities , and dignity attache d to
the position there was a sharp change in their attitude s. The necessity of learnin g to make bulk purchas es, to budget large sums of money,
to supervi se other workers , and to acquire a wide range of detailed informati on develop ed conside rable respect among the trainees for the
houseke eping occupat ions.

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4
HOUSEWORK AND RELATED SERVICE JOBS
Traditio nally a woman-e mployin g occupati on of major importan ce,
househo ld employm ent began to decline in importan ce as early as
World War I. ,vith the increase of job opportun ities for women in
other occupati ons that took place during vVorld vVar II, this drift of
women workers away from employm ent in private househol ds was
accelerat ed. In the 10-year period between 1940 and 1950-w hen the
total number of employe d women rose 4½ million- there was a drop
of 300,000 in the number of women domestic workers. Among the
causes frequent ly given for this decrease are the relativel y undesira ble
wages and working conditio ns, the occupati on's low social status, and
the lack of training and perform ance standard s.
From time to time individu al commun ities have attempte d to deal
with local shortage s of domestic workers by establish ing househol demploym ent committe es to formulat e standard s and determin e the
placeme nt and training needs in their own localities . Immedia tely
after orld " Tar II, some commun ities organize d training courses for
unskilled women to raise their level of competen ce and to increase their
employm ent opportun ities. Howeve r, these courses were few in munber; a 1946 survey of 19 commun ities with active househol d-employ ment committe es reported that only 5 o:ff ered such training program s.
The three training program s described in this chapter were established to meet the needs of a specific group of women- those on public
assistanc e. However, the experien ce gained from these program s will
be useful to all concerne d with establish ing courses to train women for
private-h ousehold employm ent, regardle ss of the groups from which
the students are drawn.. In additi~n , the results of these program s
will be of vital interest to citizens concerne d with restoring independ ence to the depende nt. The goals of these three projects can best be
summed up in the words of the administ rators of the service training
program in New York City :

,v

Reduction of the relief rolls through employme nt is a positive goal toward
which the Departme nt of ·w elfare continuou sly strives-n ot only does such
a solution of the client's problem bring relief to the overburde ned taxpayer
in the communit y, but it likewise tends to improve the vitality of the
communit y by maintaini ng to a full er degree the activity and productiv ity
of its members. For the individua l involved, the psycholog ical impact
is profound. No longer do these persons need to feel dependent , unsure

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housework and related service jobs
of themselves, and relegated to the shelf. They may again look fonvard to
accomplishment and a good sense of participation in the life around them.

This quotation applies equally to two other programs- in Chicago
.a nd East St. L ouis-which provide vocational counseling, training,
and placement for women receiving public assistance. All three of
the programs were developed by municipal or State welfare agencies
responsible for public assistance. In Chicago and East St. Louis, the
welfare agencies were the sole sponsors; in New York, the Board of
Education joined with the Department of Welfare in developing the
training program.
The oldest, the broadest in occupational approach, and the only one
vvhich trains both men and women is the Chicago program. However,
the domestic workers' project is only 1 of 4 established by the Chicago
Department of Welfare on the basis that many men and women receiving public assistance can be made employable if given supplementary counseling in addition to financial aid.
In April 1947, the department established a rehabilitation division to
develop an integrated program of vocational guidance, training, and
placement for assistance recipients who were potentially employable.
The first project organized ,vas an experiment in teaching good work
habits and ·was known as the "industrial training service." This has
steadily expanded until it now accommodates 600 trainees ]earning a
variety of relatively unskilled jobs such as soldering, assembling, pack-

Trainees learn teamwork on the a ssembly line by assembling children 's
chairs.

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training matur~ wom ~n for employment

aging, sorting, envelope stuffing, and :figurine painting. Encouraged
by the success of the first project, three more were developed : A
domestic workers' training project was started in November 1949, and
projects to train food -service workers and hospital attendants were.
initiated in September 1952.
In New York City the service training course, begun jn 1953, was
based in part on the experience gained by the Department of Welfare
in a household training program it had administered between 1943 and
1947. Although this program draws upon the diverse facilities offered
by a number of municipal and State agencies, from X-ray examinations by the Department of Health to the placement facilities of the
State Employment Service, major responsibility is shared between the
two sponsoring agencies. The Board of Education provides the teaching services; the Department of Welfare is responsible for providing
the building and equipment, arranging placements, and day-to-day administration.
The program in East St. Louis is administered solely by the Illinois
Public Aid Commission. Providing an example of action possible in
a small community, the project drew upon the resources of existing
community organizations and various facilities made available by individuals interested in the project's success.
Several factors underlay the decision reached by the sponsors of
each of the programs to train the women on public assistance for this
occupation. First, a shortage of domestic workers existed in each locality and there would be jobs for competent women after the training
was completed. Second, domestic work involves skills which the
women already possessed to a certain extent. Third, a short course
would be sufficient to make them employable for this type of work.
Fourth, the occupation permits part-time employment for women unable to work full time. Fifth, mature women find that their age is not
a barrier in securing household employment.
The Service Training Program: New York City

A continuing program to train women receiving public assistance
for household and related service jobs was instituted in 1953 after the
two sponsoring agencies-the New York City Department of Welfare
and the Board of Education- were advised by the New York State
Employment Service that there was a continuous shortage of maids,
cooks, laundresses, institutional .a ttendants, and similar workers.
Trainees are selected by department of welfare case workers and continue to receive their regular assistance allotments. The women se18


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housew ork and related · ·s ervice jobs

t
lected are judged able to benefit from the trainin g and are withou
family respon sibiliti es requiri ng that they remain at home.
. m.
The service trainin g progra m holds cla$ses from 9 a. m. to 3: 45 p
include
daily for approx imatel y 12 weeks. The subject s dealt with
nutriti on, house care, sewing, child care, laundr y, and simple bedside
care. Teachi ng techniq ues are a combin ation of the lecture and demon
great
a
stratio n method s, with lecture time kept to a minim um. Since
s or
many of the women have never used moder n cleanin g method
maequipm ent, they must be taught not only how to operat e sewing
the
also
chines, washin g machines, and moder n kitchen equipm ent but
of
ble
new, time-sa ving cleanin g method s. Traine es judged incapa
after
meetin g final perform ance standa rds are droppe d from. the course
the first 6 weeks.
hAlmos t all the women need ad vice on good groom ing and, throug
ive
out the course, the teache rs empha size the import ance of an attract
New
appear ance. Near the end of the progra m, a represe ntative of the
uindivid
York State Emplo yment Service advises the studen ts, both
and
or
ally and as a group, on job opport unities and on proper behavi
of
dress for job intervi ews. Gradu ation exercises are held at the end
of
tion
the progra m and a certific ate indica ting satisfa ctory comple
e
averag
trainin g is awarde d to each gradua te. No woman who is below
.
in perform ance is given a certific ate.
had comple ted course s
classes
two
made,
was
study
this
time
At the
held in the first half of 1953 and a third class was schedu led to begin.
Althou gh the service trainin g progra m was design ed for all women
were
receivi ng assistance, regard less of age, almost all the trainee s
com91
,
middle -aged or over. Of 150 women in the first two classes
bewere
25
pleted the progra m. Only 1 woman was under 40 years,
11
and
59,
tween 40 and 49 years, 54 worn.e n were betwee n 50 and
s
trainee
the
of
women were 60 years of age or over. Althou gh most
or
10
than
more
had held jobs in the past, many had not worked for
20year s.
Appro ximate ly one-th ird of the trainee s had, on their last job, been
the.
factory worker s. When intervi ewing recruit s, the registr ar at
bewho,
r
numbe
service trainin g center had been impres sed by the
factory
cause of their age, felt they would be unable to secure regula r
in
employ ment in the future . These women were willing to enroll
occuone
was
ment
employ
old
househ
the course, for they though t that
r
pation in which age was not an obstacle and that it offered a steadie
and more perma nent source of income.
dOf the 91 women comple ting the first two courses, 40 were place
g
chiefly in jobs requiri ng the use of skills taught in the service trainin
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training mature women for employment

Women attending a service training program are taught the fundamentals
of housework.

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housework and related service jobs

program. The majority of those who did not secure jobs were considered unemployable because of poor health. As a result, it was
decided that a physical examination would be used to screen future
recruits.
Before they were trained, all 91 graduates were considered incapable
of supporting themselves. Because of the specialized counseling,
training, and placement services they received, however, a significant
number proved they "·ere able to become economically independent.
Experiences of three of the women illustrate the satisfactory adjustment to the working world made possible by the course.
Jliss E- Supported by her father, Miss E had never been prepared to earn
a living. When his death left her at the age of 55 with no financial resources,
she became a recipient of public assistance. On first entering the course,
l\Iiss E was not interested in either training or employment, and did not
participate freely in the class work. Through the efforts of her teachers,
however, her skills were developed so that her final rating was above average.
Simultaneously, her attitude toward working changed and, on graduation,
·
l\Iiss E was placed as a nurse aide.
M i ss F - Aged 53, l\1iss F had worked as a finisher and packer in a factory
and, from 1947 to 1948, had operated her own small newsstand. She had not
worked since 1948 and it appeared doubtful that she could benefit from the
training as her right hand and leg were affected by paralysis. Miss F was
willing to try, however, since her medical report did not indicate that her
disability precluded participation in the course. At first her awkwardness in
performing some of the work made her shy and retiring but as the class
progressed her coordination and self-confidence improved. Her rating on
graduation was above average, and she was placed immediately, not as a
domestic worker but a s an assembler in a fa ctory. The change in her attitude
is best expressed in her own vvords : "The teachers proved to us it could be
done, no matter what the handicap might be."
M r s. G-A widow of 63, Mrs. Gin the past had been employed as a pantry
worker but had not had a job in over 4 years. On entering training, her
a ppearance vvas unkempt, and her attitude dejected. She became interested
in the training, and her appearance and attitude improved. Encouraged by
the staff, she lost the f ear that her age was an insurmountable handicap in
finding a job. ,vhen l\Irs. G completed the course, she was placed as a pantry
maid.

The Service Workers' Train ing Program: Chicago
Although similar in basic purpose to the program conducted in
New York City, the service workers' training program administered
by the Chicago Department of Welfare differed from the New York
program in many ways. The Chicago program was shorter, the training facilities and equipment were not as extensive, and, at the time
of the st~dy, all aspects of the program were administered by the Department of ·welfare.
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tr~ining mature women for employment

Begun in November 1949, the program was temporarily discontinued in June 1952 as other training programs operated simultaneously by the Rehabilitation Division of the Department of Welfare
proved more attractive to potential trainees. However, it is planned
to reinstitute this program whenever the need a.rises in the future.
Between November 1949 and June 1952 a total of 13 classes were
held. Given for three consecutive weeks every other month, the
classes had a total enrollment of 127 trainees. Subjects covered in the
3-week course included cleaning the home, laundering and ironing,.
care of children, and simple meal preparation. Discussions covered
such additional topics as safety in the home, telephone manners, good
grooming, and how to look for a job.
The trainees were selected by the placement and vocational counselors of the Rehabilitation Division from their case loads. Before.
admission to the course, the women were given simple aptitude tests
to evaluate their capacity to absorb program content and to hold a job.
A complete medical examination was also given.
As measured by the 64 women who attended the first 6 classes (information for all 13 classes is not available), placements were extremely high. All but 5 women were placed shortly after they finished the course and these 5 either eventually found their own jobs
or, for valid reasons, were unable to accept employment.

The Domestic Workers' Training Program: East St. Louis
The 3-week domestic workers' training program was instituted in
1952 by the Illinois Public Aid Commission to train public-assistance recipients for employment in private households and for cleaning commercial or industrial establishments. When the program began, the trainees were provided with two basement rooms and the useof the nursery in a neighborhood community house. Gradually, additional facilities were made available without cost by interested individuals. These include a small private hotel for women, where
the trainee~ are able to acquire a knowledge of an institutional type
of cleaning; two suites of doctors' offices; and private homes and.
apartments.
Classes are held daily from 9 a. m. to n'oon during the 3-week course.
Trainees are required to be punctual and have perfect attendance;
tardiness or lost time must be made up. These rules are strictly enforced in order to accustom the women to a routine which requires.
them to arise early and be at work at a designated time. The staff
is composed of two persons: an employment representative who is a
permanent staff member of .the Illinois Public .A.id Commission and
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housework and related service jobs

is responsibl e for planning the program, selecting the trainees, and
placing the graduates ; and the instructor who was employed specifically for this program.
Between March 1952 a·n d June 1953, eight groups- a total of 69
women-c ompleted the 3-week course. Some of the trainees found
jobs in private homes either on a full-time or part-time basis; the .rest
were placed in cleaning jobs in commercial or industrial establishments. However, as stated by the program's employme nt representa tive, "The trainees employed gained more than a job; they obtained
satisfactio n from leaving the rut of dependency to follow a more independen t way of life."

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5
FOOD-SERVICE OCCUPATIONS
There seems to be less discrimin ation against older " -omen by employers in the restauran t industry than in many other industries .
Restauran t owners are apt to regard mature women as desirable employees, possessing certain positive qualities well suited to the foodservice occupatio ns. Employer s have found them to be stable, courteous, dependabl e, and cooperativ e in this work where public contact
is importan t. Also, many of the mature women are willing to accept
work on shifts found inconveni ent by younger women.
Although work in the food-servi ce industry ranges :from general
helpers in cafeterias to hostesses in the more expensive eating establishments, the bulk of the jobs are for waitresses . . Of the 850,000 women
reported by the 1950 census as employed in eating and drinking establishments, approxim ately 450,000 were waitresses .
omen cashiers
numbered 22,000 and counter and fountain workers numbered 17,000.
(Hostesses are included with waitresses .)
The four programs studied differ widely in the level of jobs for
which students are prepared, in length of training, and in basic purpose. In Washingt on, D . C., a training program for waitresses , hostesses, and cashiers, jointly sponsored by the Board of Education and
the local restauran t associatio n, was in operation in 1953, as well as
a commerci al-foods course conducted by the Hannah Harrison School.
In Denver, a program for waitress, cashier, and hostess training was
offered as part of the public school system's adult-edu cation program
and, in Chicago, the Departme nt of W el:fare had developed a program
to . prepare recipients of public assistance for employme nt as general
helpers in cafeterias and restaurant s.
Although varying in many ways, the :four programs had two characteristics in common : First , a considerab le proportio n of the trainees
in all four programs were mature women; many were past 50 years.
Second, the women completin g the courses were easily placed.
One of the chief reasons :for the ease with which the mature women
graduates were placed is the shortage of competen t :food-service workers which has existed in many localities since 1940. In :fact, two of
the four program s-the one conducted by the Board of Education
and the Restauran t Associatio n in Washingt on and the course given by
the Denver school-w ere developed at the request of the local restaurant industry because of shortages of trained food-servi ce personnel .

,v

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food-service occupations

Waitress, Hostess, and Cashier Training: Washington, D. C.
Dating back to February 1940, this joint project of the Board of
Education and Restaurant Association shows how the schools can
assist industry to meet a personnel shortage and, at the same time, provide the training needed by mature women job seekers.
Costs are shared; the school system provides funds for the instructor's salary while the Association provides training space and facilities,
and pays for advertising and placement. Responsibilities are also
shared. The Board of Education develops the course of study; and
the Association selects the trainees and places them after the course
is completed.
This free, 4-week course calls for 2 hours of class attendance, 5
days each week. Classes are given both mornings and evenings; and
the students may choose the more convenient time. Trainees are recruited chiefly by advertisements inserted in the help -wanted columns
of local newspapers a few days before the opening of a new class.
The course is planned to train- in sequence-waitresses, hostesses,
and cashiers. During the first 2 weeks, the trainees are taught how a
waitress takes care of her station, receives and seats guests, takes orders
for meals, gives and picks up orders in the kitchen, and serves meals.
In the third week students are taught to perform the supervisory, administrative, and public-relations duties of a hostess. In the last week,
use of the cash register and other usual duties of a cashier are explained. Throughout the course, conscious efforts are made by the
instructor to instill self-confidence in the woman who is apprehensive
about securing a job because of her age. One lesson during the final
week is devoted entirely to a discussion of the advantages of maturity
in this type of work.
Although the course is open to men and women of all ages, the
majority of trainees have been women between 40 and 60 years of age.
Detailed information secured on the 26 women enrolled in the December 1953 class showed that 6 were under 35 years, 3 were between 35 and
39 years, and 17 were 40 years of age or over.
P lacement is not guaranteed, but almost all the women secure jobs
when they complete the course. For example, of the 20 women over
35 years who attended the December 1953 class, 14 were working a
month later, 2 were not available for employment, and 4 were to be
employed shortly.

Commercial-Foods Course: Washington, D. C.
This 5-month course is one of four training programs offered by
the Hannah Harrison School, described in more detail elsewhere in
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training mature women for employmen t

this report. The commercial -foods course is taught by the school dietitian and the school's kitchen and dining room serve as laboratories
for the practical application of instruction in planning menus, purchasing food, cooking, and serving.
Between the fall of 1950 and the spring of 1953, nine women over
35 years enrolled in this course and all but one completed the training.
The 8 women over 35 who completed the course were pbced. Three
women went to work in hospitals, 2 in restaurants, 2 in stores, and
J in a museum. The level of work secured by the women varied considerably: four of the women became food supervisors ; the others
secured jobs as hostess, cashier, cook, and counter girl.

Waitress, Cashier, and Hostess Training: Denver
The training course for waitresses, cashiers, and hostesses has been
offered yearly since first added to the Emily Griffith Opportunit y
School's curriculum at the request of restaurant owners unable to find
competent personnel. As students are interested in different types of
food -service jobs, the school permits a choice in courses of study.
The complete food-service course is 16 weeks in length and calls for
5 hours' attendance, 5 days each week. In addition, there is a 4-week
course for busboys, and an 8-week course for women who wish to be
waitresses only.
All food-service students except busboys receive the 8 weeks of waitress instruction and practice. After this, those women desiring to
become either cashiers or hostesses are given 4 weeks of cashier training followed .by 4 weeks of hostess training. Throughou t the course,
stress is placed on the developmen t of a pleasing personality and
appearance, courtesy, and good customer relations. Daily classes consist of 1 hour of lecture and discussion and 4 hours of practice training in the school dining room, serving lunch to students and faculty.
During this practice, students are encouraged to develop speed, accuracy, and confidence. The dining-room standards of service that
the trainees are required to meet are comparable to those in the best
restaurants.
Anyone 16 years or over may apply for admission to the course.
The teacher of the class interviews applicants and screens them on
the basis of their interest, physical condition, appearance, and apparent ability to get along with others. In case of doubt, the testing
section of the school is requested to give appropriate aptitude or
psychologic al tests.
Since the inception of the course, the majority of students have
been mature women. Between September 1952 and June 1953 there
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food-serv ice occupatio ns

,,., ere 33 women trainees over 35 years. They constitute d approximately two-third s of the food-servi ce students, and half were judged
to be over 50.
Every woman over 35 years who completed training during the
1952--53 school session was placed if she desired employme nt. Virtually all the graduates of the 8-week waitress course secured jobs
as waitresses . Half of the 16-week course graduates were placed as
cashiers or hostesses; the rest secured jobs as waitresses. Although
the graduates of the 16-week course were often reluctant to accept
work as waitresses , it was judged best for them to do so with the
thought that they could move into a hostess or cashier job when a
vacancy arose.

Food-Service Training: Chicago
The food-service training program is one of four projects developed
by the Rehabilita tion Division of the Chicago Departme nt of Welfare
to prepare public-ass istance recipients for productiv e employme nt.
This 4-week course is designed to provide unskilled persons with the
basic technique s needed to make them employab le as general helpers in
cafeterias , dining rooms, cafes, and restaurant s.
Since general orientatio n to good work habits and attitudes is even
more importan t for assistance recipients than it is for the average
new worker, the first week is devoted to this aspect of their training.
During the second week, food-servi ce students are assigned to the
city-opera ted cafeteria in the departme nt of welfare building, . where
they receive a direct introducti on to their duties. The final 2 weeks
are spent working in cafeterias and dining rooms operated by three
cooperatin g non-profit organizati ons. Superviso rs of the cooperati ng
cafeterias and restauran ts help the trainees adjust to duties as met
with on the job and, at the end of the 2 weeks, evaluate them on such
factors as performan ce, aptitude, attendanc e, and appearanc e.
Trainees who complete the course satisfacto rily are graduated at a
special ceremony held by the Chicago Departme nt of Welfare. Each
"graduate " receives a diploma; for many of these women this is the
first award ever received. The final event of graduatio n day is the
' distributi on of job referrals by the vocationa l counselor.
Seventeen food-service training courses had been held between the
time the project was initiated in Septembe r 1952 and the end of 1953.
Of the 81 trainees enrolled since the course's inception, almost all were
over 35. Records for a group of 20 recent trainees show that most
were past 40, and that some were past 60. The majority of these
women, after completin g the course, secured work as general helpers
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training mature women for employment

in ca:feterias or dining rooms. Others found jobs as bus girls or
second cooks and a :few became cleaners in private homes or hotels.
Short histories o:f two trainees illustrate the value of the project
in helping to secure jobs for hard-to-place women of mature years.
Mrs. JI-Mrs. H h ad lived in Chicago for the last 18 of her 53 years.
She had worked as inspector in a felt factory for 10 years, but was laid
off when the factory curtailed operations. After looking for a job for over
a year, she was forced to seek public assistance. Mrs. H was classified
as potentially employable and assigned to food-service training. She was
found to be an apt student and completed the course s uccessfully. On her
first job referral, she was hired as second cook in a private institution and
received one of the highest rates of pay offered a food-service course
graduate.
Mrs. I-At age 45, Mrs. I 's most recent job was that of maid, but she
had been employed for only 4 months when she broke her hip. While
physically unable to work, she had been helped by family and friends. On
her recovery, however, she was unable to find another job and applied for
public assistance. Assigned to the f ood-ser vice project, Mrs. I completed
the course and, ·w ith the help of the Rehabilitation Division, immediately
secured work as a cafeteria helper in a home for the aged.

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6
OTHER EXAMPLES: COSMETOLOGY AND
RETAIL SALES
The occupations of beauty operator and saleswoman currently offer
fruitful employment opportunities for mature women. Trade schools
and high schools in many communities include these two courses
among the long list of daytime or evening classes given free of charge
as part of the public school program. In general, the courses are
given to meet the employment needs of the young girl rather than of
the older woman.
The public school system in a community, however, can be one of
the chief resources for training mature men and women for employment. In some communities, this resource has been developed and
utilized; in others, it remains untapped. The Emily Griffith Opportunity School in Denver supplies an example of an adult-education
system designed " . .. to give folks who need more training just as
much or as little as they want, and at the moment they want it."
Ever since 1916, when 2,398 adults-instead of the 200 expected on
opening night-flocked to the school planned for Denver residents
aged 16 or over, there has been a continuous expansion in the school's
activities and enrollment. Several years after the, school was opened,
a few vocational classes given on nonschool property proved so popular that the idea of taking instruction to the students became an integral part of the program. During the depression of the early 1930's,
counselors were added as part 0£ an organized guidance program to
assist trained but unemployed students to prepare for, and find, jobs.
In the fall of 1953, over 200 courses were being taught to 23,000
students. Many of these courses were given in local business establishments, community centers, and public school buildings.
The classroom informality that is customary enables the instructors
to combine teaching with counseling. Like most of those engaged
in training mature women, the school staff finds that continual counseling-in matters both personal and vocational-contributes materi~lly to their success in finding and keeping a job.
The training programs for beauty operators and saleswomen given
by the Emily Griffith Opportunity School are described in this
chapter.
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training mature women for employment

Cosmetology: Denver
Although the 9-month cosmetology course is not designed especially
for mature women, 33 of the 70 persons enrolled in the course during
the 1952-53 school session were women of 35 years or over. About
two-thirds of these women were beginners and had enrolled for the
full course; the remainder were former beauty operators who had
joined the class to prepare for the State board of cosmetology
examination.
Classes are scheduled for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, and are held
during the daytime except for a supplementary course on sales techniques given at night for a 6-week period. Each day begins with 1
hour of theory in which students are taught a limited amount of anatomy, physiology, and chemistry. Students spend the rest of the morning on station, receiving instruction and practicing on one another.
In the afternoon, the trainees practice on customers who have regular
appointments at the school and are charged only the cost of supplies.
vVeekly tests in theory are given; time records on practical operations
are kept for each student; and the final examination is patterned after
that of the State board of cosmetology. The intensive nature and
high standards of the course are shown by the fact that, since the
co-qrse began 14 years ago, only one student who took the State examination failed to pass.

A cosmetology student practices on a "customer.,,

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cosmeto logy and retail sales

The placeme nt record of the women completi ng the cosmetology
course is excellent. Not only have the graduate s, regardle ss of age,
generall y secured jobs but-wit h the help of the school- most of the
women had jobs waiting for them. Of the 15 mature women in the
beginner s' group who complete d training during the 1952- 53 school
year, 2 opened their own shops and the rest were employe d as beauty
operator s. All eight mature women in the refreshe r group also found
jmmedia te employm ent.
The ease with which these women were placed illustrate s the need
:for compete nt beauticia ns in many localities . The 189,000 women
employe d as "beautic ians, barbers, and manicur ists" in 1950 were
16,000 fewer than women in the same occupati ons in 1940.

Retail Sales: Denver
An even more extensive shortage exists for compete nt saleswomen.
The course given at the Emily Griffith Opportu nity School to prepare intereste d persons for retail sales work merits special attention
because of the large number of jobs for mature women in this field.
In 1950, accordin g to the United States Bureau of the Census, there
were 1,192,000 women employe d as saleswomen in retail trade establishment s, and more than half of these women were 35 or over. In
addition , the fact that numerou s part-tim e jobs are available in this
occupati on makes it one that offers special advantag es to many older
women who do not wish full-time work.
In general, there are few age restrictio ns in hiring retail sales personnel. Employe rs frequent ly hire women over 50 for sales work,
and some employe rs set no maximu m age limitatio n. Also, those
older women intereste d in part-tim e jobs :furnish the personne l needed
to handle peak business loads and to substitut e during relief periods
of full-time employees.
Althoug h retail sales work is not an occupati on which requires
extensiv e training , it involves a type of skill that can be advantageously develope d by instructi on. Such preempl oyment training is
particula rly valuable when there are many job applican ts and employers are able to choose those with previous experience.
Organi,zed to supply trained salespeo ple for the Denver area and
to assist persons encounte ring placeme nt difficulties, the "retail sales
·and personal ity developm ent course" covers basic principle s of salesmanship and acquaint s the students with actual work situation s.
Classes are held 2 hours daily, during the daytime, for a school semester of 19 weeks. In addition to teaching the specific duties of filling
out sales checks, making basic arithmet ical computa tions, operatin g
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training mature wom en for employm ent

a cash register, and wrapping packages, some instructio n is given on
general retail-stor e operation.
Three weeks of the course are devoted to personalit y developm ent.
During this part of the course, work habits and attitudes, employeecustomer relations, and basic factors influencin g personalit y are discussed. T he teacher intensifies her efforts to help the students become
psych ologically adjusted to the business world. In devoting so much
time to this subject, the school has been guided by the belief-held by
many store executives- that the qualities most needed to be a good
salesperso n are emotional maturity, a pleasing personalit y, the ability
to meet the public, and a neat appearanc e. This part of the training
is considered especially importan t for the older women who often
lack the self-confid ence and aggressive drive needed for successful
sales wo'rk.
The two courses given during the 1952-53 school year were attended
by ,69 students. Of these, 46 were women and approxim ately half of
the women were over 35 years. Many of t h e trainees in this group
were married women interested in part-time jobs as a means of supplementin g the family income and participat ing in some out -of-the
home activity. The majority of the mature women students comp leted the course and subsequen tly secured work as saleswome n in depart1:Ilent stores or other retail establishm ents.

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7
THE NURSING OCCUPATIONS
Five programs studied by the Women's Bureau illustrate attempts
made by three communitie s to alleviate local nursing shortages, and
the important part played by middle-aged and older women in providing the urgently needed labor supply. Only one of the programs,
a refresher course for registered nurses, attempts to augment the supply of active professiona l nurses. The other four programs deal with
training practical nurses or auxiliary workers such as nurse aides and
hospital attendants.
The New York City Departmen t of Hospitals is comprised of 33 institutions owned and operated by the city. In early 1952, the continuing shortage of nursing workers caused the commissioner of hospitals
to publicize the situation. He wrote to 25 major counseling groups
and women's organization s describing the urgent need and stressing
the fact that qualified women, particularly those over 40, were desired
as trainees for the three programs offered by the department . These
programs are : an 8-week refresher course for inactive registered
nurses, a 1-year practical-nu rse training course, and 4 weeks of onthe-job training for nurse aides. Although trainee recruitment was
stimulated by the 1952 publicity campaign, the nursing shortage continued acute, with the greatest need for registered nurses. The use of
practical nurses and nurse aides to perform a variety of tasks in order
to ease the workload of the professiona l nurses is illustrated by comparing positions budgeted and positions filled, as of August 31, 1953,
in the 33 institutions administere d by the Departmen t of Hospitals :
Total

Jobs budgeted ________ _____ __________ ___
Jobs filled _____ __________ _________ ____ _

14, 697
13,212

R egistered
nurses

Practical
nurses

N u rse
aides

7,415
3,554

2,435
2,434

4, 847
7,224

In Chicago, a 4-week course to train hospital attendants was developed by the Rehabilitati on Division of the Chicago Departmen t of
Welfare. The choice of occupation was determined to a large extent
by the fact that there was a shortage of competent hospital attendants
in the Chicago area.
In Colorado, the shortage of nursing personnel prompted the Governor to call a statewide conference in 1946 on the problem. A resultant study made by hospital and school administrat ors approved the
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tra ining mature women for employment

lated a practical-nurs ing program with minimum standards for instruction, curriculum, and student qualifications. In 1949, a practicalnurse training program jointly operated by the Emily Griffith Opportunity School and three Denver hospitals was established in accord with the suggested standards.
Mature women composed a large proportion of the trainees in the
five programs at the time of the study. In New York City, 189 of the
202 women enrolled in the refresher course were 35 or over, and a
large proportion of the practical-nurse and nurse-aide trainees were
over 40. Almost all the · women attending t he Chicago hospital-attendants' training course were over 40; in Denver, women over 35 comprised slightly over half the graduates of the practical-nurse training program.
None of the mature women completing any of these training programs, regardless of occupational level, had difficulty securing work.
The shortage of professional nurses, practical nurses, and other competent nursing workers is so prevalent that frequently no age maximum is set by employers when hiring nursing personnel.
Despite the current acute shortages, training opportunities have
age restrictions. Almost no courses are open to the middle-aged
woman who wishes to become a professional nurse; an entry age ceiling of 35 years is practically universal among schools of nursing. This
is not true for the occupation of practical nurse, where women in their
forties are encouraged to enter training, although women over 50 or
55 years are :frequently barred. It is interesting to note that, though a
maximum age for entrance was set at 50 to 55 years by the New York
practical-nurse program, individual exceptions were made and, of the
88 trainees who were over 35, 11 were between 50 and 54 years and 3
were 55 or over. In Denver, no age maximum was set for entrance t o
the course and, of the 92 women trainees, 10 were between 50 and 54
years, and 11 were 55 years of age or over.

Refresher Course for Registered Nurses: New York City
I

T he program to provide refresher training for professional _n urses
began in June 1952. Its purpose was to acquaint inactive registered
nurses, through classroom instruction and practice work, with the most
recent developments in the profession. Classes were scheduled in four
municipal hospitals and, between June 1952 and September 1953, a total of 202 women had participated in the nine courses that were held.
Only women with diplomas from an accredited school of nursing were
accepted.
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the nursing occupations

Of the 202 women who enrolled in the refresher course, only 13 were
under 35 years. Most of the women were in their forties or fifties
although ages ranged as high as the seventies.
Two types of training schedules, full time and part time, were developed. However, only the part-time schedule has been used because
the majority of members of each of the nine classes, when given a
choice, selected the part-time course. This schedule requires attendance 2 or 3 days each week for 8 weeks, in contrast with the full-time
schedule requiring attendance 5 days a week for a month.
The training time is divided evenly between classroom instruction
and supervised nursing service in the wards. Both individual and
group instruction are given, and teaching techniques are adjusted to
the needs of each class. Each trainee is rated during the course and,
at the end of the course, students are required to pass written
examinations.
Nurses who complete the course are expected to accept employment
in a city hospital for at least 3 months, and over two-thirds of the
graduates were placed in city hospitals. Of those remaining, a :few
found other nursing jobs but most-for personal reasons-were unable
to return to nursing.

Practical-Nurse Training : New York City
Since the development of t~e acute shortage of professional and
other nursing personnel during W or Id War II, there have been notable
changes in the occupation of practical nurse. Many States have established new requirements for licensing and new standards o:f practice.
In addition, traini1ig opportunities have expanded considerably.
At present, most practical-nurse training is conducted in three
ways: by the public-school system, by private schools affiliated with
hospitals, or by schools operated by hospitals. The Denver practicalnurse program described later in the chapter is conducted jointly by
the public school system and three local hospitals. The New York
City program is operated completely by the hospitals.
Before World War II the New York City Department o:f Hospitals
had hired practical nurses from those trained, sometimes in cooperation with the city-operated hospitals, by the public education system,
or by community organizations. However, the shortage o:f practical
nurses caused the department to open its own school, the Central
School for Practical Nurses, in 1943. Students receive free unifo1111s
and $10 a month. They may live at the school, where full maintenance is provided, unless they prefer to live at home.
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training mature women for employment

The 12-month program consists of 4 months of classroom work and
supervised care of patients, followed by 8 months of supervised practice in hospital wards. The 8 months of ward practice is spent half
in a general hospital and half in a hospital for the chronically ill. On
satisfactory completion of the course, students receive a certificate
which makes them eligible to take the licensing examination required
by New York State since 1938.
Students are carefully selected; on the average, only 1 out of every
3 applicants is found to be qualified. Information secured on 88
trainees who were over 35 showed that many of these women had performed nursing duties before entering and had enrolled at the school
to improve their skills. A considerable number, however, wanted to
change from another type of work to practical nursing, which they
considered more interesting and higher paid. Personal interviews
with 1 student and 1 former student supplied information on why they
had enrolled in the course.
Mrs. J-The student, Mrs. J, was 36 years of age and childless. She had
been married for 11 years to a construction worker who did not earn enough
to support them, since his work was seasonal. She had enrolled in the course
because she had leisure time, liked to take care of sick people, and beli~ved
the occupation of practical nurse offered job security.
Mrs. K-Separated from her husband, Mrs. K had a married son and
daughter. She had never worked before but found that she was lonesome
and had too much leisure time. Becorping interested in caring for sick
people, Mrs. K entered the school in 1948 and had been working for the
Department of Hospitals since she w.as graduated in 1949. Mrs. K, aged 54,
enj oys her job and receives much satisfaction from working as a practical
nurse.

The large majority of the women completing the course went to
work as practical nurses, not only in city-operated hospitals, but in
other institutions, or on private duty. The work performance of the
women over 35 who became practical nurses was highly commended
by the supervisory staffs of the various hospitals. It was felt that
mature women have generally selected the vocation, as shown in the
cases of Mrs. J and Mrs. K, because of their interest in nursing as we ll
as in securing a job. In addition, mature women usually have had a
certain amount of nursing experience in their own homes, are a ware
of some of the less pleasant duties the job entails, and are reliable and
steady workers.

Nurse-Aide Training: New York City
A 4-week program to train nurse aides in order to insure better
care for patients was instituted simultaneously in the 33 city-operated
hospitals in 1947. The program has been in continuous operation and,
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the nursing occupations

although the exact number trained each year varies, the numbers
are always large. In 1951, for example, there were 2,610 students
enrolled.
Persons interested in, and qualified for, a job as a nurse aide are
hired with the understanding that they will be trained 4 weeks before
being given their regular ward assignment. They are paid the regular nurse-aide wage rate throughout the training period. Recruits are
secured through newspaper and magazine articles, through recomrn.endations of former trainees, and through the local office of the New
York State Employment Service.
Although some of the trainees are men, the greater number are
women. Many of the women trainees, although not the majority, are
women over 35. For example, of 533 trainees enrolled in the course
given at one of the city hospitals between December 1951 and June
1953, 18 percent were men, 61 percent were women under 35, and 21
percent-111 women-were over 35.
Information secured for 100 women trainees in the over-35 age
group showed that 81 completed the training and were assigned to
regular jobs as nurse aides in the hospital. In October 1953, 72 of
these 81 women were still working as nurse aides. As judged by their
supervisors, all but two women were doing average or above average
work.

Hospital-Attendant Training: Chicago
The 4-week hospital attendant program is 1 of 4 projects developed
by the Rehabilitation Division of the Chicago Department of Welfare to train persons receiving public assistance for employment. Between the beginning of the program in September 1952 and December 1953, 12 classes had been held in which a total of 131 public-assist-ance recipients- almost all women past 35 years- had been enrolled.
Throughout the 4 weeks, trainees receive their usual allotments plus
payments for special expenses incurred.
One of the vocational and placement counselors of the Rehabilitation Division is made .responsible for each class. The counselor's
duties include selecting the trainees, teaching the class during the first
week, arranging for the other 3 weeks of training, and securing jobs
for students who complete the course.
The first week of the course is devoted to general orientation toward both training and employment. During the second week,
trainees .report to the Red Cross offices for the regular home-nursing
course offered by this organization. In the last 2 weeks each trainee
is assigned, on a 40-hour week basis, to 1 of 7 cooperating institutions
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training mature women for employment

to work under the supervision of a nurse or regular hospital
supervisor.
Shortly after the course is completed, almost all who are willing
and able to work are placed as nurse aides. Many of the trainees in
the early classes were retained as regular employees by the hospitals
or institutions where they received their last 2 weeks of training.

Practical-Nurse Training: Denver
Both hospitals and school administrators participated in planning
·and organizing the 1-year practical-nurse program jointly operated,
since 1949, by the Emily Griffith Opportunity School and three Denver hospitals. The actual training takes place in the hospitals and
is conducted by teachers who are also registered nurses. The teachers'
salaries, however, are paid by the school, which also has the responsibility for curriculum planning, overall administration _of the program, and recruitment of trainees. Although the State of Colorado
does not regulate standards of instruction or issue licenses for practical nurses, this program has been accredited by the National Association for Practical Nurse Education.
A number of problems faced in the first years after the program was
adopted have been solved in large measure by adding to the staff of
the school the position of nurse-educator. This has enabled one person to devote full time to coordinating the program, facilitating the
exchange of teaching techniques and experiences among the three
hospitals, and standardizing the textbooks used and the amount of
time devoted to specific subjects.
Recruitment, formerly handled by each hospital, was also channeled
through the nurse-educator because it was difficult and time consuming. Experience had shown that approximately 60 persons must be
interviewed to form a class of 20 students. Also, the criteria used
in student selection had varied by hospital, and there had been quite
a number who dr?pped out of the course. Further study of the problem and concentration of responsibility in the nurse-educator have
resulted in more standardized selection and fewer dropouts.
In order to obtain a sufficient number of qualified trainees, the school
has developed a recruitment program which utilizes the press, the
radio, and personal contacts. The school announces the formation of
each new class and prepares news and footure stories; the cooperating
hospitals place classified advertisements in local newspapers; and the
nurse-educator speaks before club and school groups. Publicity is also
given to the fact that the course is free and that the students can earn
as they learn. Students are paid $60 a month by the hospital after
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the nursing occupations

their first 4 months of training, and $90 a month after their second 4
months.
A weekly schedule of 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, prevails throughout the course. The trainees spend most of their first 16 weeks in the
classroom receiving instruction in nursing theory. The remainder of
the course is spent chiefly in floor duty in the hospital wards and in
practice duty with patients cared for by the Visiting Nurse Service
in private homes.
Women over 35 comprised slightly more than half of the 93 trainees
enrolled in the six practical-nursing courses offered between September
1952 and August 1953. Practical-nursing jobs were secured by all
women who completed their year of training. Approximately onefourth entered private duty; the others secured jobs in hospitals,
often in the hospitals ·at which they were trained. In December 1953,
all but three women were known to be still employed.

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8
PRODUCTION WORK IN THE ELECTRONICS
INDUSTRY
The extensive use of women as production workers in the electronics
industry began during World vVar II when critical labor shortages
forced employers to seek new sources of labor for their rapidly expanding plants. When production was cut back during the postwar
period, overall employment in the industry declined, with the decrease
greatest among women workers. However, after the outbreak of
fighting in Korea, the percentage of women in the industry again rose
along with an increase in the total number of workers.
In 1951, two precision-instrument manufacturers in New York
State-finding it necessary to employ inexperienced women workersbegan to train women, including a substantial number past 35 years,
for production jobs. One program, 4 mont hs in length, was limited
to training women for electrical assembly and inspection work. The
other, an 18-month program, though concentrating on training for
assembly work, also prepared women for the more skilled and higher
paid jobs.
Satisfaction with the success .of their training programs and with
the work of the mature women participants was voiced by officials
of both the electronics firms. In the opinion of one executive:
,vomen over 35 have proved themselves to be aptly suited for the type of
precision and sedentary electrical-assembly work which requires patience,
a light sensitive touch, and good eyesight. . . . Our experience to date has
proved that women in the so-called "middle-aged-group" are, generally, more
adaptable to this type of work. Their general dependability is considerably
greater than those in the younger groups. Over 70 percent of the females
now employed in these occupations are over 35 years of age. The composite average age for all female employ~es is 39 years. It is our conclusion
that the middle-aged woman possesses more pat ience to perform the precise,
tedious type ot work. . . . . They pay more attention to job details, concentrate on the work at hand, and develop into more dependable employees.
Their home conditions are usually more stable-thus having less effect upon
their attendance and continuity of employment.

The type of production jobs filled by women workers in the electrical
manufacturing industry varies from company to company. Some firms
prefer to employ women for only a limited number of jobs such as
assembling, winding, or inspecting. Other companies have a more flexible employment policy for women and place them in a wider range of
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production work in electronics industry

jobs. The companies studied serve, to a certain extent, as examples
of each of these two approaches.
Both companies were alike, however, in their willingness to consider
older women as well as younger ones for training and employment.
More than one-third of the 190 women completing the 4-month training program were 35 or over, and more than two-thirds of the 250
women recruited for the 18-month training program were over 35.

A 4-Month Program: New York State
An on-the-job training program to prepare women for work as
electrical assemblers and inspectors was established in 1951 by a company engaged in designing, developing, and manufacturing precision
instruments. Having employed women during World vVar II, the
company once more turned to hiring women when increased orders in
1951 again required more workers.
Virtually the same procedures are used to train the recruits for both
assembly and inspection work. Since the company's policy is to hire
only a few women at a time, it has been possible to follow what has
been described as the "see and show" method. When a new operation
is to be learned, an experienced woman worker sitting next to the
trainee demonstrates the steps to be followed. If there are questions
that cannot be answered by the demonstrator, a leadman is consulted.
Assembly operations taught the trainees include cutting, skinning,
and soldering of lugs to wires; simple wiring of small units and subassemblies; forming and lacing of cables; coil winding; and simple
mechanical assembling of electrical component parts. Training for
inspection operations includes blueprint reading, the use of basic measuring instruments, and repetitive inspection of large quantities of purchased materials or of parts machined in the plant. The women progress toward reading complex blueprints or rough drawings so that
they can be given responsibility for the inspection of more complicated
parts. As inspection work requires mathematical accuracy, only
women who have completed high school with a good grade in mathematics are accepte~ for this type of training.
While the instruction is informal, the progressive pay scale established for trainees has been formalized by an agreement with the union
representing the production workers. At the end of the 4-month training period, women are classified as either class D wireman or class D
parts inspector. However, instruction on new operations continues to
alternate with repetitive production work since continual changes are
made in the equipment manufactured.
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training mature wome.n for employment

A total of 250 women were hired between the program's inception in
April 1951 and December 1953. Of these, 190 completed the training
program. More than one-third of the trainees-70 women-were 35
years or over.
Information secured on 40 of these women who had completed their
training showed that 35 were classified as class D wiremen and 5 as
class D parts inspectors immediately upon completion. By December
1953, 10 of the 40 trainees had progressed to class C wiremen and 4 to
class C parts inspectors. All these class C workers had received merit
wage increases in their new jobs.

An 18-Month Program: New York State
Recruiting plant workers became a problem to this company in 1951
when it began to manufacture, in quantity, the electro-mechanical
equipment it had previously developed. Located in an area where
experienced workers were in short supply, the company turned to hiring women, the only local source of additional personnel. No hiring
age ceilings were set. Selection of new employees was based on health,
eyesight with glasses, and indications of intelligence, stability, and
patience. At first, new workers were chosen on the basis of a personal
interview. Subsequently, finger dexterity and mechanical comprehension tests-devised by the company with the help of the Employment
Service-were also used.
To help the new women recruits learn the specialized techniques
used in the plant, the company developed an 18-month on-the-job
training program. A period of this length was set because of the need
for assemblers proficient in many intricate and exact operations. In
this plant-because of the continuation of experimental work, constant product improvement, and frequent rush orders-each assembler
must know more than one phase of an operation.
Most of the women are trained to become winder assemblers or instrument assemblers since those are the workers most needed. The
winder assembler trainees prepare wire coils for transformers and other
electrical units, and also learn how to operate various types of coilwinding machines. Operations taught women learning to become
instrument assemblers include polishing shafts with fine abrasives;
alining gears; bending and forming electrical components; fastening
chassis parts; soldering wires; and laying out and harnessing complicated multiwire patterns.
Upon reporting to work, each trainee is assigned to an instructor, a
woman who usually helps eight women and is located at a nearby workbench. The instructors are not supervisors; they demonstrate tech42


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production work in e lectronics industry

niques, keep watch on each trainee's progress, and supply ,vork materials when needed.
In accord with the company's stated policy of basing hiring decisions
on individual ability regardless of age, sex, or physical handicaps,
women workers are not restricted to jobs as winder or instrument assemblers. vVhen job openings occur in the machine shop or in the
inspection or sheet-metal departments, women believed suitable for
that work are transferred; if none are available, new trainees are sent
there directly. Women learning these jobs receive in truction in the
routine operation of various machines and equipment, and gradually
become responsible for working more independently and on more
difficult assignments.
No production requirements are set for the new trainees since staff
members in all departments emphasize that it takes time to learn to
coordinate the hand and eye, and that stress on speed can spoil the
quality of work. Each woman is allowed to progress at her own rate.
Accuracy is of overriding importance in the production of precision
instruments, and the entire training program is designed to insure
high quality production.
About 250 women have been recruited for this training program
since its inception in 1951. It is estimated that 70 percent were at
least 35 years of age. On the basis of work records for 39 women in the
over-35 group, it was found that 26 completed the 18-month training.
Most of these trainees-18 women-became winder assemblers ; 6 became instrument assemblers; and 2 became winder or assembler techmcians. A followup study of the same group made a few months
later showed that additional graduates had advanced to the technician grade, and that one woman had become a leadwoman.

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9
CONCLUSIONS
Learning New Skills After 35
Women 35 years or over constituted at least half of the trainees
in 18 of the 23 programs, and a substantial proportion in the remaining 5. Women in their forties and fifties predominated, although
ages ranged to over seventy. On the whole, these women proved satisfactory as students and, after completing their training, became competent workers.
Without exception, the instructors and administrators of the training programs stressed the fact that leftrning proficiency depended on
individual ability, regardless of age. Some of the instructors stated
that-in general, and allowing for a wide range of individual differences-older women did not do as well as younger students in
class work and theory, but were better in demonstration and practice
work. These instructors thought that, since mature women had been
away from school for many years, they were no longer accustomed to
studying. In a number of courses, therefore, a conscious effort was
made to minimize theory and textbook work and emphasize the
practice technique.
The need of mature women for individualized counseling and guidance was stressed by the majority of training program administrators. Major emphasis was usually placed on developing the selfconfidence of the trainees, helping them to learn how to get along with
others, improving their health and appearance, and teaching them
good work habits. Services of professional psychologists and other
specialists were available in a few of the projects, but generally it was
the teacher who also filled the role of counselor.

Finding a Job
Most of the "35 plus" trainees were able to find employment, when
they completed training. In almost all instances, the women secured
jobs doing the work for which they had been trained.
Although the projects did not usually guarantee employment,
trainees were given considerable assistance in finding a job. Many
of the courses included instructions on how to apply for work, how
to fill out application forms, and how to behave during job interviews. In addition, the programs provided job placement services.
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conclusions

Some of the factors which brought about the successful placement
records of most of the programs can be isolated :
1. Job opportunities existed in the occupation for which training

2.

3.
4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

was offered.
The training programs ·had preparation for employment as a
major purpose, and had established adequate performance
standards which had to be a,ttained by the trainees.
Trainees were carefully selected, and applicants judged unable to meet training or employment standards were rejected.
Classes were usually small, and trainees were given sufficient
individual attention to enable each to progress at her own
pace.
Efforts were made in almost all the courses to reproduce, or use,
actual work situations, and instructors were generally persons with considerable work as well as teaching experience.
Close contact was maintained with local employers, often
through the use of advisory committees that not only advised on the training programs but also cooperated in recruitment and placement activities.
Trainees were given individualized p lacement assistance on the
basis of detailed knowledge by the placement officer, often
the project teacher, of the woman's personality and abilities.
Consideration was given to the overall needs of the trainees in
many of the courses so that undesirable personal and work
attitudes were dealt with, as well as the lack of a specific skill.
This resulted in preparing the women for employment and
the working world as well as for a particular type of work.

Middle-aged and older women constitute an essential segment of
this country's overall manpower resources. In a number of the programs described in this report, employers-faced by shortages of
competent workers-turned to mature women as the source of the
urgently needed labor supply. On entering employment, such women
become contributors to our productive life and economic well-being.
The results achieved in these training programs show clearly that
women who have never worked or have not worked for many years
can- with proper counseling, training, and placement-become both
productive and satisfactory employees.

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-a
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APPENDIX
Characteristics of the

23

Training Programs Studied

3

by

the Women's Bureau,
!

Institution or proj ect visited

Location

Occupation for which training offered

Emily Griffith Opportunity School__ ______________ D enver, Colo _____ ______ Institutional housekeeper ___ ___ ___ _____ _____ ___ ___
·waitress, cashier, hostess ____ ___ _______________ ____
Cosmetologist_ _____ _______ _______________ ___ ____ __
R etail saleswoman __ __ ____ ______________________ __
Practical nurse ____ ___ __________________ _______ ___ _
Power sewing-machine operator_ ________________ __
_________ ____ _
Department of Hospitals____ ___________________ ____ New York, N. Y ___ _____ R egistered nurse (refresh er) ___ ______
Practical nurse _______ _________ ___________ _______ __
Nurse aide __ _________ _____________ _______ ___ _____ _
H annah H arrison SchooL ____ ____________________ _ W ashington, D. c ____ __ Institutional housekeeper ___ _______________ ___ ___ _
Clothing construction and alteration worker_ ___ ___
Commercial food worker __ _______________________ _
worker_ _----- - -- -- ----------------------- Department of Welfare_______ _____ ___ ___ __________ Chicago, Ill_ __ __________ Service
Hospital attendant __________ ___________ ______ ____ _
Food-service worker __ ___ ___ ______ ____ ___ __ ____ ___ _
Joint Department of vVelfare and Board of Edu- New York, N. y ____ ____ Household or related worker_ ___ _________________ _
cation Project.
Public Aid Commission ______ __ ________________ ___ East St. Louis, Ill ___ ____ Service worker. domestic or other_ __ ____ ______ ___ _
Hotel Training School__ ___________________________ Washington, D. C ____ __ Institutional housekeeper ___ _____________________ _
Joint Restaurant Association and Board of Edu- _____ do __ ________ ____ ____ Waitress, hostess, cashier_ ________________ _______ __
cation Project.
Community Hand-sewing Project_________________ Scranton, Pa____ ______ __ Industrial hand sewer_ _______ ______________ _______
Community Power-sewing Project __ ___ ____________ Hazleton, Pa __ ________ __ Power sewing-machine operator_ ___________ ___ __ __
18-Month Electronics Company Program ________ __ New York State ___ _____ Assembler, technician or related worker_ ____ _____ _
4-Month Electronics Company Program ___ ___________ __ do _______ ________ ____ Assembler, inspector __ ---- - ---- - - - ------ -- --- - - - --

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-ro
0

1953-54

Date
program
began

Training time

194fl
1943
1939
1947
1949
1951
1952
1943
1947
1950
1950
1950
1949
1952
1952
1953

19-38 weeks ___ ___ _
8-16 weeks ___ ____ _
9 months ____ _____ _
19 weeks ____ _____ _
1 year ___ ____ _____ _
6- 8 weeks ___ _____ _
4-8 weeks ___ _____ _
1 year_ ___ ________ _
4 weeks ___ _______ _
5 months ______ ____
_____ do ____ ______ ___
_____ do _____ _______ _
3 weeks __ ______ __ _
4 weeks ___ _______ _
_____ do ____ ________ _
12 weeks ___ ______ _

1952
1916
1940

3 weeks ___ ______ __
4 months _________ _
4 weeks ___ _____ ___

1952
1953
1951
1951

13 weeks ____ _____ _
4-6 weeks ___ _____ _
18 months __ ______ _
4 months _________ _

C

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chapter

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