Engineering a New Test Track

Engineering a New Test Track Engineering a New Test Track Engineering a New Test Track By Thomas Stefanchik For more than ten years now, Test Track has been one of the most popular attractions at Walt Disney Worlds Epcot Center, and with good reason. The white knuckle, 65 mph lap around the Test Track course is the longest and fastest ride in all of Disney World. And with its emphasis on vehicle design, safety and testing, the attraction has always been of special interest to engineers. As good as this attraction was, however, the folks at Disney, perhaps motivated by the phenomenal success of Universal Studios Wizarding World of Harry Potter, felt the need to improve upon it. Scheduled to re-open this fall (December 6, 2012), Chevrolet Design Center at Epcot will allow guests to become immersed in the world of automotive design, as they create their own custom vehicles, and then take them out for a spin. The Chevrolet Design Center will actually be the third iteration of a GM-sponsored pavilion at Epcot. When the park opened in 1982, the attraction was entitled World of Motion. Incorporating Disneys signature audio-animatronic figures, it featured a whimsical ride through the history of transportation, from the dawn of time to the present day (much the way Spaceship Earth tracks the history of communication). However, theme park competition grew ever more heated in Orlando once Universal Studios opened in 1989, and so by the mid-1990s Disney decided to re-imagine World of Motion, as a thrill ride. And thus Test Track was born. Estimated to cost more than $100 million, Test Track was in and of itself a wonder of engineering, one which encountered numerous road blocks on its way to opening. From 1997, its original opening date, to 1998, its actual opening, the attraction was subjected to numerous design changes, operational failures and soft openings. Operational glitches aside, the technical specifications of Test Track are nothing short of remarkable: The ride vehicles each travel 140 miles per day, or 50,000 miles per year. That is approximately four times the average annual mileage a car is driven in the United States. The vehicles were designed to last for 1 million miles. That is equal to driving from the Earth to the moon more than four times. Making 100 million ride-system calculations per second, the vehicles three onboard computers have more processing power than the Space Shuttle. The engine is a 250 horsepower electric motor, giving it more horsepower than a Chevy Blazer. The chassis is made completely of composite materials. Goodyear provides the tires for the Test Track vehicles. They are at 70psi (pounds per square inch) instead of the usual 35. This makes the bumps feel intentionally bumpier. Each vehicle is equipped with 6 braking systems, whereas todays cars have only one or two systems. The Heat Room in which the vehicles pass through features 192 heat lamps baking guests at a toasty 140 Fahrenheit; by comparison, the Cold Room is a moderate 40 Fahrenheit. The test vehicle goes through 34 turns, climbs a three-story hill and speeds around a track banked at an angle of 50. It takes 8.8 seconds for the test vehicle to go from 0 to 65 mi/h. As technically impressive and flat-out thrilling, as Test Track was, the attraction lacked one attribute: strong queuing area. The trend these days is for guests to be entertained and/or informed while enduring the inevitable, often interminable, lines for their favorite rides. (A perfect example of this is the interactive walk through Hogwarts which precedes Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at Universals Islands of Adventure.) At Test Track, guests would simply shuffle their way through a large open area filled with test track dummies and spare auto parts. And so the attraction, as well as its queuing area, has been re-imagined once again. The new version will feature upbeat music, engaging media, dramatic lighting and a collection of Chevrolet concept cars and model vehicles, according to a Disney spokesperson. Guests will use interactive design and styling workstations to create custom concept vehicles, after which they will hop aboard a SimCar ride vehicle and put their designs to the test through the twists, turns, and bumps of the Test Track course. The actual ride itself may or may not change based on the guests input, considering that up to 6 passengers will each have their own designs when entering the vehicles. Disney recently (and briefly) tested this technology on Test Track by handing select guests cards to hold throughout the ride. Its possible this technology will be incorporated into the new design stations, allowing guests to bring their concept car data onto the rides for testing along the way. After the ride, a new post-show area will feature special effects and scores on how well their custom concepts did. And guests will have the opportunity to marvel at the latest Chevrolets in Test Tracks high-tech showroom, a post-ride viewing area which, although re-designed many times, has been part of the attraction since the World of Motion Days. In fact, in order to make the update happen, Disney and General Motors renewed their long-term business relationship with a new multi-year corporate alliance. And GM has been actively involved with Walt Disney Imagineering in the development of the design-centric Test Track experience. All of which means theyll be something for everyone, thrill-seekers, automotive fanatics, design engineers and theme park enthusiasts alike, when The Chevrolet Design Center at Epcot finally opens (December 6, 2012). Checkout Disneys latest blog/update on the new Test Track

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22 NYC Job Fairs and Events, Week of 6/22 Every Monday we bring you a list of job fairs and events happening throughout the week in New York City. Not from around here? Take it up with HR. Better yet, just nap on it until Wednesday. For you Big Apple-area residents, bask in the warming glow of opportunity. Monday, June 22 High Speed Networking NYCLocation: Public House, 140 E. 41st St.Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.To register: Pre-register at NetworkingForProfessionals.com, $35 for everyone at door, $30 in advance, $20 Networking for Professionals members in advance, Wednesday, June 24 How to Finance Your Small BusinessLocation: St. Josephs College, Tuohy Hall, 245 Clinton Ave.Time: 6-8 p.m.To register: Free, 718-960-8697 for more information Wednesday, June 24 Pricing Strategies for Freelancers and ConsultantsLocation: The New York Public Library, Science, Industry and Business Library, room 018, 188 Madison Ave.Time: 5:30-7 p.m.To register: Free, 212-592-7047 for more information Thursday, June 25 Business Loan Information Sessi onLocation: CAMBA Small Business Services, second floor, 884 Flatbush AveTime: 10 a.m.-11 a.m.To register: Free, preregistration required, 718-282-2500 Thursday, June 25 National Society of Hispanic MBAs College NightLocation: Monroe College Annex Building, 2426 Jerome Ave.Time: 6:45-9:30 p.m.To register: Free, NSHMBA.iHispano.com/ for more information(As always, thanks to AM New York for the info)It's Monday. Time to get back in the groove. Posted by Steven Schiff, Asst. Producer Vault.com

5 ways to transition into a new career

5 ways to transition into a new career 5 ways to transition into a new career Career transitions can be a bumpy ride: you leave the familiar routines of your daily job responsibilities and suddenly everything’s up in the air again, just like it was at the beginning.While career changes are not for the faint of heart, and can take a long time and a lot of hard work, the benefits of sticking with it to move into something that will be a better long-term fit for you are priceless.Here’s what you should keep in mind as you navigate through both familiar (and unfamiliar) territory.Save, save, saveYou’ll need a lot of money to stay afloat for as long as it takes to land the right next job, so it makes sense to start saving while you’re still employed - before you make the leap.LearnVest founder Alexa von Tobel writes about creating a financial “cushion” for herself in a TIME article.“When I started my company, I had to go without a regular paycheck in order to get everything off the ground. I used my emergency savings- I called it my freedom fund- to support myself. Generally, I recommend at least six months of take-home pay as an emergency fund, but if you’re planning a career change, I’d suggest at least 12 months’ worth, to help you cover costs without having to take a job you don’t actually want,” she writes.Remember that you’re more than your jobYou’re a human being with strengths, weaknesses and a whole life outside of work. So think about what’s important to you in this process. After all, this is a second shot at getting what you really want in your career, right?A 2014 Gallup poll found that more than half of U.S. employees “get a sense of identity from their job”- while just 42% think work is what they do to pay the bills.It’s no surprise that something that fills so much of our daily life can become part of our persona. But try not to get caught up in the idea that your job ultimately defines you, particularly when you’re dealing with the disorienting feeling of a work transition.In other word s, work shouldn’t be all you have.Rely on your networkBefore you can get a firm understanding of the industry you’re trying to break into, do everything you can to research it.Read up on news articles, industry research and books, but also tap into your network - reconnecting with friends or extended networks to find people who work in the field you’re now pursuing. Ask them for insight about the nature of the industry, invite them to an informational interview to get tips, and solicit insight about any events or professional networks you should sign up for.Then, get out there. Head to networking events, join clubs and affinity groups with people who are passionate about the same things as you, and get outside your comfort zone by looking to speak to those who can also challenge your perspectives.Monitor your progressIf you’re only judging the passage of time by your proximity to the next job, you’re going to start to lose track of your actual, incremental progress.Instea d, consider setting smaller benchmarks to help keep yourself motivated - and organized - as you move forward.“Respect yourself enough to track the effort. Monitor how you’re doing and what you need to be doing next. Set up reminders so you follow up on things when you need to,”  Jenny Foss, a career strategist and recruiter who quit her job in corporate communications and now runs the blog JobJenny.com, writes in  The Muse.“If you’re going to invest time and energy to make this happen, invest the time and energy to track your progress,” she adds, suggesting a “simple Excel spreadsheet will do you wonders.”“If you’re not an Excel person, use the tool that makes the most sense to you so you don’t abandon ship on it,” she says.Don’t forget about your current strengthsChances are, you already have a wealth of knowledge in another area, so don’t shortchange yourself.Before she launched the reusable water bottle company S’well, Founder and CEO Sarah Kauss s pent time in financial and real estate fields, she said  in Fortune.She said the skils she learned in each industry served her well on the next.“No matter where you go, you have the opportunity to build on existing skills and find opportunities to create new ones. By understanding what capabilities you’re fostering and being open to how they can be used moving forward, you’ll always set yourself up for success,” Kauss said.“This takes the pressure off of making a career-move mistake and allows you to look at each position as a positive opportunity for growth.”

When to Decline an Offer

When to Decline an Offer When to Decline an Offer Your career is as driven by what you say “no” to as it is by what you agree to. Find out who you are, and who you aren’t in this self-assessment.Great organizations are defined by what they say “no” to. The same is true for great individual careers.A great career is defined by what the individual is able to put in and get out: She can make the type of contribution she finds optimal for her talents, passions and values, and she can reap the type of results she wants.To achieve such a career, you need to say “yes” to a few key jobs and say “no ” to many attractive alternatives.How to know what’s a “no”What’s up with Abraham Lincoln? There have been literally hundreds and hundreds of books written about him. These include the most introductory of children’s books to the most sophisticated histories. Why did he have such a memorable career? I think it all comes down to the fact that he dedicated his career to two propositions: “United we stand, and divided w e fall” and, “All men are created equal.”What is the proposition to which you are dedicating your professional life? This will help you a great deal in deciphering what to do and what not to do in your career.More than 12 years ago, I dedicated my professional life to this proposition: Mastering business basics drives better sustainable results. Not quite as catchy or life-changing as Lincoln’s propositions, but it’s been clear enough to help me make decisions on what to do and what not to do.The best contribution I can make is to uncover these business basics, these processes for improving results in a sustainable way, and then explain them in a user-friendly manner. In other words, I see myself as a teacher. Not a teacher who has all the answers because there are no set answers in business, but rather a teacher who causes people to focus on understanding and executing the basics of business at a very high level.In choosing to be a teacher, I simultaneously chose not to b e a manager or an executive.Before reading on, take out a sheet of paper. Decide on the proposition to which you are willing to dedicate yourself. Write it down. You may end up rewriting it many times over the months to come. With a clear proposition in hand, you can then decide where to place your time and where not to place your time.Your proposition will help you choose which roles you will want to fill - and which ones you won’t.Sacrifices and opportunity costsMy third-grade son, Ben, came home with his folder of papers. One of them said, “Explain the idea of opportunity costs using the example of Pizza Hut.” Ben smiled and said, “That’s easy. I like sausage pizza, and I like pepperoni pizza. If I choose the pepperoni pizza, my opportunity cost is the sausage pizza.” What a great explanation ! He learned something valuable that day from Mrs. Edwards. When you choose to have something that means you are also choosing not to have something else.As you go about buildin g a great career, always take the time to clarify your opportunity costs, the things you are choosing not to have. If you choose to work as an employee, you are choosing not to be an entrepreneur. If you choose to be an entrepreneur, you are choosing not to work for someone else.Both choices can be good, but you can’t have both simultaneously.Fifteen years ago, I was considering starting my own business. I was a full-time, tenured teacher at a very well-known high school in St. Louis. I wrote down my opportunity costs if I left, which included the following: R eally wonderful students would no longer just show up for me to teach, I would not have colleagues to bond with between classes or at lunchtime, I would not have a guaranteed paycheck every month or a guaranteed job for life. To me that was a lot of opportunity costs to give up.Only once I became comfortable with what I was giving up was I able to go out on my own. However, once I left I didn’t go back and try to teach at the high school while trying to run my own business.I know people who did just the opposite. They were entrepreneurs and chose to teach or to work for someone else. They had considered their own opportunity costs of not running their own businesses, and they chose to work inside an organization. You have to choose what you think is the best route for your career. Step back and clarify what you will do and why you will do it and what you won’t do and why you won’t do it.You have to choose your opportunity costs as much as, and maybe more than, your opportunities.Take out a second sheet of paper and write down all the things you are not going to get as a result of going in the direction you are considering. Make sure you are comfortable with what you are giving up before you get comfortable with what you are going after.The choices of Charlie RoseCharlie Rose is my favorite interviewer. I knew who he was, but I didn’t really study him until I recently read an article about him i n Fortunemagazine.The proposition to which Charlie Rose has dedicated his career : “wanting viewers to feel like they were eavesdropping on a conversation each night â€" fully engaged if not actually participating.”He chose to: Hone his craft over a number of years until he got the opportunity to doThe Charlie Rose Show on PBS in 1991. He chose not to: Stay with commercial TV. He had walked away from a well-paying program called Personalities in 1990 because he wanted to do a more serious talk show. He also said no to a full-time anchor slot on Sixty Minutes II in 1996 that would have earned him a great deal more than he makes on his own show on PBS. He turned it down because he felt doing his own show was, as he said, “the chance to find your own reality â€" for yourself, not for others, what no man can ever know. In the end, I have not finished the journey.”In saying no to a variety of opportunities, Charlie Rose defined who he was and who he wanted to become. He wants to do serious interviews with people on important topics without any pretense whatsoever. And he does it very well.Accept who you aren’tAt the same time you’re defining where you’re going, you must get comfortable with the ideas of limitations and consequences. You can spend your whole life trying to be everything and keep chasing one career dream after another. Or you can say, â €œI’ve chosen this path for my career. Here is the general path where I believe I can make my greatest contribution.” And then be OK operating within the limitations and consequences of the career you have chosen. Actually, there’s real power in deciding the limitations you are going to accept. It means you are willing to focus seriously on the work you have chosen to pursue.In studying hundreds of really successful people, I’ve noticed that the best of the best stick with their chosen path. What’s Steven Spielberg doing these days? He is still making movies. What’s Oprah doing now that she’s made billions? Still interviewing people to find out what they have to offer her audiences. What’s Steve Jobs up to? He’s working on guiding Apple to make electronic technology incredibly useful for consumers. What is Charlie Rose doing tonight? Now 67, he’s interviewing one of the world’s movers and shakers. Now that Bruce Springsteen has turned 60, what’s he doing? Put ting on great concerts. What’s my mom doing today at the age of 80? She’s still being a great stay-at-home mom as she has been for the past 54 years and caring for other people.Be OK with who you are and who you are not.To manifest a great career, you have to stick to the path of your own choosing and not feel bad about all the paths you have chosen not to pursue. In reality, the more you consciously say no to alternative paths, the more sincerely you say yes to your life’s work.

Why Wont They Tell Me Why I Didnt Get the Job

Why Won't They Tell Me Why I Didn't Get the Job Why Won't They Tell Me Why I Didn't Get the Job? Why Won't They Tell Me Why I Didn't Get the Job You have a stellar resume that highlights your skills and major career accomplishments, and grabbed the attention of employer. That led you to an interview for a job that would have been a good career move. The interview went very well, but the hiring manager delivers the bad news a week later: You didn't get the job. You're disappointed, which is natural, but you accept the decision. Yet, you politely ask the hiring manager for feedback on your candidacy to help prepare you for the next opportunity. It seems such a harmless request, but maybe you could learn something about yourself. Then, the issue becomes how they answer your request, if they choose to answer at all. The employer will likely respond in one of three ways: (1) They won't. Call this the non-response response. Several years ago, I was one of two finalists for a job I was very confident I could perform well. But the hiring manager informed me by voice mail that I didn't get the job. I left him a voice mail with a polite request for feedback. I'm still waiting. Employers are under no obligation to answer your request for post-interview feedback. After all, the information you're seeking is nice to have rather than need to have. Many employers have learned that it's easier to give no response whatsoever because so many rejected candidates wind up (figuratively!) shooting the messenger. Others are under strict orders to adhere to policies driven by their corporate lawyers, who fear the manager might say something that could get the company in trouble, such as if you're a woman We decided to go with the other candidate, because, well, even though you have the better level of experience, we need a guy in this job. (which, days later, earns the company a call from an attorney with the federal government). (2) They respond, but they're vague. We were impressed with your credentials, but we went with a candidate who had more experience in [fill in the blank]. That's all they said (and given its length, heck, they could have Tweeted it). There's no hint of discrimination in that statement, but you still don't have constructive feedback to help you improve your chances the next time around. The vague response is only slightly better than the non-response, and although the employer is being maddeningly evasive, they are playing within the law, and probably company policy too. (3) They're refreshingly open and honest. They liked you, they really, really liked you! Yet they felt the same about the person they hired. But because they're (1) professional, (2) personable, (3) confident in their hiring practices, (4) very sure of what they want, and (5) fully knowledgeable about employment law, they offer you the feedback you're looking for. Perhaps they needed solid expertise in a software program you're just learning. Or maybe (ouch) you didn't know anything about the company's products so they assumed you weren't really that interested in the job. Whatever it is, honest feedback can give you closure on the opportunity and leave you better prepared for the next one. And if they really liked you, the next opportunity could be with them when they have another suitable opening. You never know. THE LESSON? First, expect that you won't get the feedback you're looking for. Employers have their reasons legal or otherwise for not giving it to you. That's why it's important to know yourself, your skills, and your experience well. If you need feedback, it's better to get it from someone you know and trust who can review your resume and help you practice your interview skills, especially before an interview. Looking for more on post-interview feedback? Alison Green addresses the topic on her blog, Ask a Manager, and on the U.S. News World Report web site.

Digital Dilemmas for Creative Teams and How to Overcome Them

Digital Dilemmas for Creative Teams and How to Overcome Them Digital Dilemmas for Creative Teams and How to Overcome Them In today’s business world, it’s nearly impossible to come across a creative or marketing campaign that doesn’t include a digital component. Needless to say, companies need to go digital to survive. But without the right people and strategies in place, it’s an uphill battle. To help creative and marketing teams tackle common barriers to digital innovation at their companies, The Creative Group did some investigative work. Partnering with AIGA, the professional association for design, and Graphic Design USA, we surveyed nearly 600 creative and marketing professionals with hiring authority to find out their greatest challenges and pain points. We also spoke with industry leaders at A+E Networks, General Electric Co., IBM Watson and Microsoft to understand how they approach digital projects and uncover best practices for other creative and marketing teams. Following are some highlights from our new white paper, Step Up Your Digital Game: Lessons From In-House Creative Teams. Room for growth More than half of creative and marketing professionals (55 percent) rated their organization’s digital marketing strategy as fair or poor. And only 29 percent said their company has a dedicated digital team that is responsible for planning, executing and evaluating digital marketing initiatives. Hiring hurdles A majority (71 percent) of creative and marketing professionals said it’s challenging to find talent with strong digital expertise. When asked what technical skills are most lacking on their teams, the top responses were: Data science, data analysis and A/B testing Web and user experience (UX) design Content creation and content marketing Search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM) and pay-per-click (PPC) marketing Too overworked to innovate Many creative and marketing professionals revealed they’re putting in overtime. Nearly one-third of respondents (31 percent) said they work more than 50 hours a week, and nearly half (47 percent) feel they work more hours than colleagues in other departments. Help wanted Most professionals reported that their teams are understaffed, which no doubt impacts their ability to produce impactful digital campaigns. Seventy percent of creative professionals said they’re shorthanded and would most like to hire professionals who specialize in web design and production and print design and production. Sixty-four percent of marketers also feel stretched thin and would most like hire people with digital marketing strategy, SEO and SEM expertise. As the research shows, a crucial component to digital marketing success is hiring the right team players, but finding skilled digital professionals can be difficult for employers. Diane Domeyer, executive director of The Creative Group, stresses how important it is to move quickly when you find a great candidate. “A primary challenge for many creative and marketing teams looking to expand their digital capabilities is finding people with the right hard and soft skills and a passion for problem solving,” she said. “Top digital talent is rare in today’s competitive employment market. When hiring managers come across promising candidates, they need to move quickly and be prepared to negotiate salary and perks or risk losing them to competing offers.” DOWNLOAD THE WHITE PAPER

The Best and Worst States for Working Moms, According to Care.com

The Best and Worst States for Working Moms, According to Care.com The Best and Worst States for Working Moms, According to Care.com Women today make up nearly half the workforce and contribute to family income more than ever before. There are 25 million working moms out there - and they don’t have it easy. From rampant work-life imbalance to the soaring cost of childcare , working moms face many challenges. Factors like the quality of child care and schools vary widely, and support for working moms can be very different from state to state. With that in mind, the Care.com Think Tank evaluated all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., based on four key areas: child care, gender equality, economic opportunity, and workplace support to identify the best and worst states for working moms. So how does your state stack up? And what can be done to better support working moms everywhere? If you’re a working mom, or aspire to be one, New England’s a nice option. Massachusetts takes the top spot on our list, and Minnesota is the only state outside of New England to land inside the top five. What these states all have in common is high grades for child care . Although child care can be quite expensive in these states, care is high-quality and highly accessible - and the sticker shock is somewhat offset by strong professional opportunities. Meanwhile, the states at the bottom of our list- including Alabama, West Virginia, and Mississippi - suffer from high gender wage gaps , low female labor force participation rates and higher percentages of families in poverty. We know it’s not easy being a working mom, but women’s success in the workforce is essential to the success of businesses and, in the big picture, the global economy. The composition of the American workforce has changed over the past several decades. Women make up the majority of college graduates and nearly 50 percent of the workforce. Chances are, about one of every three women in the workforce has a child under 18. As female workforce participation has increased, the economy has grown. In America, our economy is an estimated 13.5 percent larger - that’s about $2 trillion bigger - than it would be without increased female labor force participation since 1970 . And there’s still room for growth: Closing the gender gap in employment rates could boost our GDP by as much as 9 percent, according to a report by Goldman Sachs. As it stands, many experts say the absence of family-friendly policies is to blame for female labor force stagnating in recent years. For instance, two-thirds of parents say child care costs have influenced their career decisions. When working mothers pass up opportunities - or even withdraw from the workforce entirely - everybody loses. They’re limiting their lifetime earning (and therefore spending) potential, while their employers also lose out on their talent and institutional knowledge. There are a few things all of us - from business leaders to lawmakers to family members - can do to support the working moms in our lives. Here, we’ll cover two little things we can all do right now, and two systemic changes. We can be more flexible , with work arrangements, expectations, and deadlines. Whether it’s a boss pushing back a deadline or a spouse picking up a few extra chores around the house, a little bit of flexibility and understanding goes a long way to helping working moms make life work. We can normalize working caregivers . You’ve probably heard some version of “It’s a ‘Modern Family’ world but our policies are stuck in ‘Leave It To Beaver.’” That’s code for our work structures still presume there’s someone at home with the kids. You could argue that our list should contain not 50 states but exactly three: California, Rhode Island, and New Jersey. By now we all know the U.S. is the only developed country in the world without a paid leave policy for new moms, and those three are the only states in the U.S. with paid parental leave policies of their own. (New York and Washington, D.C. may soon join that club: both have passed legislation to establish paid leave, but those efforts have not yet taken effect.) In California, after paid leave legislation was implemented, low-income and minority women saw their weekly work hours and wages improve by 10 to 17 percent, according to one study . Could more change be on the way? President Trump has promised to “help ensure new parents have paid family leave.” And there’s a viable option out there, the FAMILY Act , which would create a gender-neutral program offering 60 days of paid family leave for all American workers, regardless of the size of the company they work for. So, maybe. In the meantime, it’s largely up to employers to provide paid leave for new parent employees. And the existing landscape looks pretty bleak. Fewer than 15 percent of private-sector workers have access to paid family leave. Thing is, there are legitimate business benefits for providing leave. Moms who have paid maternity leave are far more likely to return to their pre-birth employers and remain loyal, productive contributors to the organization. We’re seeing more companies stand up and share success stories by the day. Research has further shown that women whose husbands take advantage of paternity leave will earn more over the course of their careers- ostensibly because dads who take an active parenting role after the birth of a new child are more likely to share in caregiving responsibilities for years down the line. Child care is the single biggest budget item for many families. When you layer the cost of care on top of other work-related costs, like commute time and taxes, families across all income levels end up weighing whether it really pays for a second parent to work. That’s why a lack of quality, affordable care remains one of the biggest barriers to female labor force participation. Improving access to child care helps women to remain engaged in their careers. A new study of family-friendly policies in 22 industrialized countries found that government spending on early childhood care and education had a bigger positive impact on women’s employment, their earnings, and on reducing the gender wage gap than other factors like job flexibility or even parental leave. President Trump has also promised to make child care accessible and affordable. While there’s no official Trump child care plan at press time, the most recent version of the administration’s plan, as described by legislators and policy makers, appears to be built around an expansion of the existing child and dependent care tax credit . While we wait for Washington to act, a growing number of employers are filling the gap by providing child care resource and referral benefits, as well as backup child care to cover last-minute care needs. Access to care has become not just a benefit but a competitive advantage: Companies that provide care assistance benefits find employees report higher levels of job satisfaction, and are able to work more hours each week and more days each year. For instance, Care.com’s corporate clients report their employees miss six fewer days of work each year because of access to Care@Work services . The Best States for Working Moms rank is based on scores in four categories: Child Care, Gender Equality, Economic Opportunity, and Workplace Support. “Child Care” includes the cost, quality, and availability of child care. The cost of child care is normalized by the median household income in each state to account for differences in earnings. Other factors that contribute to child well-being are also included in this category: number of pediatricians per 10,000 children, the percentage of children without health insurance, and the percentage of students at or above proficiency in math and reading. Data are from Care.com, American Board of Pediatrics, Kaiser Family Foundation, and NationsReportCare.gov . “Gender Equality” measures the gender pay gap, the ratio of female executives to male executives, the female labor force participation rate, and the gender representation gap (calculated as the ratio of female employees to male employees). Data are from the US Census Bureau, and the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. “Economic Opportunity” includes women’s median salary, the percentage of families in poverty, and the female unemployment rate. Women’s median salary is normalized by the cost of living in each state to arrive at purchasing power. These data are from the US Census Bureau, and the MIT living wage project. “Workplace Support” includes women’s average commute time, the number of companies listed in Working Mother Best Companies for Women operating in the state, and women’s weekly average hours worked. These data are from Working Mother, and the US Census Bureau. Metrics in these categories were normalized on a scale from 0 to 100, and combined using a weighted average with the following weights: Child Care (30%), Gender Equality (30%), Economic Opportunity (20%), and Workplace Support (20%). This article was originally published on Care.com .