Mobility for Federal Women Managers: Is Training Enough?

Abstract

Despite impressive gains in employing women as managers, the federal government continues to promote women slower and promote them less than their male counterparts. Agencies have used training programs to close grade and pay gaps on the assumption that skills acquisition will make women more promotable. The author's recent doctoral dissertation assessing the role of training and development in career histories of 14 women managers in five different federal organizations found training as a mobility strategy of limited impact. The article highlights reasons for this and recommends strategies which human resource professionals and policy makers can use to strengthen the role of training and development.