The U.S. Labor Department last fall awarded $1 million in grants to benefit women entering nontraditional occupations. The grants went to 10 community-based organizations, which help employers and labor unions recruit, train, hire and retain women in apprenticeship and nontraditional jobs such as construction and plumbing.

The grantees are: Oregon Tradeswomen Inc., Portland, Ore.; Tradeswomen Inc., Oakland, Calif.; Women in Non-Traditional Employment Roles, Long Beach, Calif.; Nontraditional Employment for Women, New York, N.Y.; Women's Resource Center, Grand Rapids, Mich.; Montana Job Training Partnership, Helena, Mont.; HRC Inc., Wasilla, Alaska; Northern New England Tradeswomen Inc., Essex Junction, Vt.; Chicago Women in Trades, Chicago; and Area Resources for Community and Human Services, St. Louis.

The Women's Bureau (www.dol.gov/wb) of the Labor Department administers the grants with Labor's Office of Apprenticeship Training, Employer and Labor Services.