Queens Public Library will host a series of training sessions in the next few months to help women learn how to level the playing field at work.
QPL, and the city’s two other library services, will team with the New York City Economic Development Corporation and the American Association of University Women to launch “Ask for More,” a citywide initiative to train more than 10,000 women with they skills they need to negotiate their salary and benefits as well as advocate for promotions and leadership opportunities.
“These free salary negotiation workshops are terrific opportunities for our customers and the public to develop skills and strategies they are going to need for as long as they remain in the workplace,” Queens Public Library President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott said. “I want to thank women.nyc and the Association of University Women for partnering with Queens Public Library to open another avenue of success for people who rely on us to help them transform their lives.”
The “Ask for More” training sessions will be held at Queens Library Central, located at 89-11 Merrick Blvd. in Jamaica on Thursday, Oct. 10 at 6 p.m.; Thursday, Nov. 14 at 6 p.m.; and Thursday, Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. QPL will also host one of the training sessions at LaGuardia Community College on Monday, Nov. 4, at 4 p.m.
“These workshops bring New York one step closer to the city we want to be, one where everyone is getting paid what they deserve,” women.nyc Executive Director Faye Penn said. “These free bootcamps are designed to reach women of all backgrounds throughout the boroughs. We’re proud to partner with AAUW to teach women how to ask for more as part of our effort to keep New York the greatest city in the world for women to succeed.”
The workshops will include an online course free of charge with programs designed to empower women by teaching them to assess their market value, research competitive salaries in their field, and articulate their worth in a way that ensures success. Once fully implemented, “Ask for More” will be among the largest salary negotiating and women’s leadership initiatives in the country.
“New York City cannot succeed if women continue to be paid less than their male counterparts,” Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Vicki Breen said. “Ask for More equips women of all backgrounds, across all five boroughs, with the skills and resources they need to successfully ask for their next promotion or raise.”
In the coming months, the program will expand to include Spanish-language programs, as well as versions of the training tailored to women in specific industries. An employer roundtable and other conferences are being planned for later this year.
Women can sign up to participate at women.nyc which is chaired by former Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen.
“In offices across this city, women are being paid less then they deserve; this is a status quo we can no longer accept,” Glen said. “We’re giving women at all income levels real tools to advocate for themselves, negotiate for their worth and put real money in their pockets.”
