VOA标准英语2010年-Exposing Women to New Career Options

Hairstylist Jackeline Aguilera operates a power screwdriver¹ as she learns how to hang a door in a classroom at CASA de Maryland, a non-profit organization that operates vocational training and employment placement programs in the Washington, D.C., area, 31 Jul 2010

While women have made big strides in many career fields that were once dominated by men - from law to medicine to the physically-demanding work of police and the military - construction work still is largely considered "a man's job."  A non-profit organization in the Washington, D.C., area, however, is training women for the construction trades in an effort to build self-esteem and better-paying careers.

Jackeline Aguilera is a hairstylist.  But instead of scissors on this Saturday morning, she is operating a power screwdriver.  She is learning to mount a door in a basement classroom.

"In the beginning, it was difficult," said Aguilera.  "We studied maybe for one day.  We fixed² the door.  Next Saturday we have a test on how to put on things and how to do a door."  She is in construction work training with several other women. 

"As a hairstylist, hmm, well, no no, no, I don't make enough money," said Aguilera.  "But I do make money for a living. Pay bills, pay the basic things, house rent, food."

 

Mercedes Rodriguez, a Peruvian immigrant, cleans houses.  With her limited English, Rodriguez explains why she wants to acquire, as she puts it, "man's job" skills.

"Because it is more money," said Rodriguez.  "Now there is a little business in cleaning, Clean offices, clean houses."

CASA de Maryland, a non-profit organization that operates vocational training and employment placement programs in the Washington area, sponsors the training course.  Tona Cravioto is the senior manager for vocational training.

"The purpose of this training is to prepare women to have access to high-paying jobs in construction," said Cravioto.  "Our statistic³ shows there is a huge difference between the traditional jobs for women and construction jobs.  For example, you can get cleaning jobs for $8 per hour versus⁴ the minimum for a construction job is $13 an hour."

Over the nine-week course, participants learn the basics of electrical, carpentry, flooring, plumbing⁵, drywall and tile work.  Janaina Rocha, who has worked in the construction field for 10 years, is an instructor⁶. 

"I have heard from ladies, that they just like, feel intimidated⁷ by the guys, but right now I know what to do, I have been taught, I got all the tools, and I will not feel intimidated anymore," said Rocha.  "I will show them what I can do."

The Women's Economic Security Campaign, an advocacy group for low-income women, points out in a recent report that 99 percent of roofers are men earning an average wage of $16.17 per hour, while 98 percent of preschool teachers are women earning $11.48 per hour.  The report suggests it makes sound economic sense for low-income women to begin looking for a way into the construction business.

"Also we believe that construction training is a career path," said Cravioto.  "So you can just start at an entry level.  But you have a career to follow.  You have a way to go up to $25 an hour, or even more. All depends on what you do and how much training you get."

CASA de Maryland insists that women participants agree to try jobs they may have shied away from in the past, because they considered them to be "men's work."

"We have a very clear policy, gender⁸ neutral policy in which the jobs are not attached to any stereotype⁹, male or female," said Cravioto.  "If there is a female worker on the list as the next one to go, and there is coming up a construction job, or landscaping job, or moving job and she is capable to do it, she is going to take it.  That is our policy."

The participants say they are not afraid of taking on traditional men's work.  And they are confident the skills they are acquiring will help them build a better foundation for their lives.

 

1 screwdriver   

n.螺丝起子；伏特加橙汁鸡尾酒

参考例句：

• He took a screwdriver and teased out the remaining screws.他拿出螺丝刀把其余的螺丝卸了下来。
• The electric drill can also be used as a screwdriver.这把电钻也可用作螺丝刀。

2 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

3 statistic   

n.统计量；adj.统计的，统计学的

参考例句：

• Official statistics show real wages declining by 24%.官方统计数字表明实际工资下降了24%。
• There are no reliable statistics for the number of deaths in the battle.关于阵亡人数没有可靠的统计数字。

4 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

5 plumbing   

n.水管装置；水暖工的工作；管道工程v.用铅锤测量（plumb的现在分词）；探究

参考例句：

• She spent her life plumbing the mysteries of the human psyche. 她毕生探索人类心灵的奥秘。
• They're going to have to put in new plumbing. 他们将需要安装新的水管。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 instructor   

n.指导者，教员，教练

参考例句：

• The college jumped him from instructor to full professor.大学突然把他从讲师提升为正教授。
• The skiing instructor was a tall,sunburnt man.滑雪教练是一个高高个子晒得黑黑的男子。

7 intimidated   

v.恐吓；威胁adj.害怕的；受到威胁的

参考例句：

• We try to make sure children don't feel intimidated on their first day at school. 我们努力确保孩子们在上学的第一天不胆怯。
• The thief intimidated the boy into not telling the police. 这个贼恫吓那男孩使他不敢向警察报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

9 stereotype   

n.固定的形象，陈规，老套，旧框框

参考例句：

• He's my stereotype of a schoolteacher.他是我心目中的典型教师。
• There's always been a stereotype about successful businessmen.人们对于成功商人一直都有一种固定印象。