PathWays PA Policy Blog

(From our friends at the SEPA Budget Coalition ) Harrisburg observer Sharon Ward’s PowerPoint presentation on the proposed budget drew a lot of attention during our budget briefings over the past days. Download it here to see its many great talking points.

This weekend PathWays PA spoke at WOMEN'S WAY's Women in Influence Conference at a session entitled the How and Why of Social Media in Advocacy. Below is our powerpoint presentation that includes examples of the ways PathWays PA uses social media to advance our work and inform the public about important issues.

Last week, PathWays PA held a series of presentations focused on community colleges at the national and state level.  Presenters included Vickie Choitz from CLASP and Brandon Roberts from the Working Poor Families Project as well as information from PathWays PA.  For those who are interested, the presentations are viewable below.  PathWays PA's newest report, " Pennsylvania's Workforce: The Role of Community Colleges" can be found on our website. CLASP Presentation Working Poor Families Project Presentation PathWays PA Presentation

Last week PathWays PA released the Self-Sufficiency Standard for Pennsylvania 2010-2011 at the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania.The Standard measures how much income a family of a certain composition in a given place must earn to meet their basic needs without public or private assistance. In addition, we spoke about our Online Training and Benefits Eligibility Tool (OTBET) an online tool that allows staff and clients to determine the personal Self-Sufficiency Standard and benefits eligibility for their own families. Our presentation is below. If you would like to recieve a copy of the Standard or need more information about the OTBET please contact policy@pathwayspa.org or call 215-543-5022 X255.

PathWays PA has begun a new blog designed to share our resources online! As a nonprofit organization that serves more than 6,000 women, children, and families in the Greater Philadelphia area each year, PathWays PA has developed a number of resources to help us meet our mission: "To help women, teens, children and families achieve economic independence and family well-being."  Throughout the past thirteen months or so, you have been able to access some of these resources through our website , this blog , and our sister blog, The Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces .  Now, you can access even more resources on our newest blog, PathWays PA Resource Library . PathWays PA Resource Library is a compilation of financial education and asset development resources, public benefits information, and career tools for agency staff and community members.  It will be run by PathWays PA's AmeriCorps VISTA members, and will cover topics including: banking budgeting cover ...

On Saturday, March 20, PathWays PA and other organizations participated in The WOMENomics Forum (co-sponsored by the Friends of Delaware County Women's Commission, Eastern Delco and Interboro Business & Professional Women, Delaware County Women's Commission, The Center Foundation, PathWays PA, The Pennsylvania Commission for Women, and Delaware County Council), where we spoke about green jobs for women. A copy of our presentation is below, and a description of the event appeared in The Delaware County Daily Times on Monday. If you are interested in green jobs, now is the time to get involved. The Sustainable Business Network just released a list of green jobs available in Philadelphia, including information on the education level needed to access these jobs. For more information on women and green jobs, you can also visit the Women's Economic Security Campaign .

Thanks to everyone who came out to our Public Forum on Earned Sick Time! Feel free to check out the presentations , which have been uploaded to our sister blog, Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces .

On Tuesday, The Pennsylvania Policy Blog published a great recap of the latest news in Pennsylvania around the gender gap (and there has been a lot lately). The gender gap in question refers to the difference in what women earn on average compared to men, and is an issue we have explored at various times on this blog. The impact of the gender gap does not end when women stop working, however. Since income during your career affects income in retirement, the gender gap follows women beyond their years in the workforce. In Pennsylvania, for instance, the typical single male over 65 in retirement has $3,011 more per year then he needs if he is renting, according to the Pennsylvania Elder Economic Security Initiative . However, the typical single female in the same situation has $5,065 less than what she needs in order to live in her home with dignity. These numbers translate into a $8,076 gap in income between typical Pennsylvania men and women in retirement. There are many reasons ...

PathWays PA was given the opportunity to speak today on the subject of women and green jobs at an event held by the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia. Along with the Women's Bureau, green employers, and women working in green jobs, PathWays PA was able to share important information on how green jobs affect women. Our presentation is below.

An article published last week on Forbes.com "mythbusts" the idea that woman can't do math and science by pointing out that women executives with science degrees are leading some of the largest companies in the world. The article points out that women who earn Ph. D.s in science are as likely as their male counterparts to find teaching positions, promotions, and tenure at major universities. It also notes that girls now have academic parity with boys when it comes to math. The question to ask, really, is when did we decide that women couldn't excel at math and science, as well as the nontraditional jobs that go with them? Throughout our history, women have excelled in performing heavy labor on a farm, in the fields, and in the home. During WWII, Rosie the Riveter became well known as the symbol of working women, and is held up as an example even today . Math and science skills are important in every job, and men are just as likely as women to need additional...

PathWays PA presented the findings of Overlooked and Undercounted: Struggling to Make Ends Meet in Pennsylvania , with a particular focus on the findings in Philadelphia, on May 29th. Below is a copy of the presentation.

PathWays PA presented at the Westmoreland County Community Action Community Forum. Below is a copy of the presentation.

To give you a better sense of the Elder Economic Security Initiative, we wanted to show our presentation on the initiative. You can also find documents for the initiative at www.pathwayspa.org .