A Gift From 99 Girlfriends
Representatives of the 5 Non-Profit Winners of 99 Girlfriend’s Impact Grants!
We at Oregon Tradeswomen are big fans of stories that start with a couple of friends and a bold idea. In 30 years, Oregon Tradeswomen has grown from small support group meetings in a basement to a dynamic nonprofit. Today, Oregon Tradeswomen offers hands-on training, job placement, supportive services, and advocacy for women, trans, and gender-diverse people seeking fulfilling, living-wage careers in the skilled trades. We’ve experienced first-hand the power of coming together to create meaningful change in our community.
In 2017, a few friends here in Portland had a similar idea; what if, instead of each of them making many donations to Portland’s nonprofits, they pooled their resources in order to make a significant impact? The result was Ninety-Nine Girlfriends, a women’s giving circle currently comprised of 480 members. This model of one person asking a friend to join her and pitch in, to use her resources to lift others up, is very near to our hearts! In its first year, Ninety-Nine Girlfriends made one $100,000 grant to a Portland nonprofit. In 2019, they were able to offer five such awards, one in each of their focus areas:
- Arts & Culture
- Education & Lifelong Learning
- Environment & Sustainability
- Family & Human Services
- Health & Wellness.
Oregon Tradeswomen is honored to be a 2019 recipient of Ninety-Nine Girlfriend’s Impact Grant. This transformational gift will go a long way in helping Oregon Tradeswomen achieve our long-time goal of expanding training options with evening and weekend classes once we are settled in our new location and training workshop in early 2020. We want to thank each and every one of the 480 Girlfriends for their support and generosity.
Oregon Tradeswomen is especially grateful to Vanessa Vasquez, Isis Harris, and Heather Mayther, who shared their stories during the application and review process.
Thank you, Ninety-Nine Girlfriends, for your support and generosity, and to all our funders and individual donors who have supported us this year.
To find out more information about 99 Girlfriends and their 2019 Grantee Partner winners, please visit their website here!
Happy Holidays,
Oregon Tradeswomen
Tradeswomen Leadership Institute 2019
On December 7, 2019, Oregon Tradeswomen held our annual Tradeswomen Leadership Institute (TLI) at the Sheet Metal Institute here in Portland, Oregon. The event drew more than 50 participants from a diverse spectrum of trades! We were thrilled to see such a successful showing of trade workers from our community and across our industry.
The event was organized in part by an advisory committee of tradeswomen who shared ideas and insights which informed the workshop content, including topics such as Surviving and Thriving in the Trades and Advancing Your Career from the Jobsite into Management. Workshops also provided resources on how to access financial supports and plan for retirement, as well as how to politically advocate for yourself and other tradeswomen.
Our Keynote speaker, Sonia Ramirez, Wage and Hour Administrator for the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, wrapped up the day with a passionate speech about her professional journey, and her path to leadership as a woman of color in a male dominated industry. Sonia inspired the whole room! We were also surprised and delighted to see Oregon Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle, who stopped by to show her support for the event as well.
Oregon Tradeswomen wants to thank the TLI Advisory Committee for their wisdom, enthusiasm, and superb ideas which made TLI 2019 so successful and well attended. Special thanks to the Sheet Metal Training Center Local 16 for hosting us for the day. We extend our gratitude to the speakers who shared their valuable time and advice with us, as well as our dedicated community partners and staff who helped make the event a success.
Check out photos from the event on Facebook!
We look forward to seeing you in 2020!
Metro Adopts The Construction Career Pathways Framework
In 2018, Metro regional government released a labor market study for the construction industry and the potential economic impact for our region’s workforce. Greater Portland is growing and the construction industry is growing with it. There is an anticipated need for 15,000 new construction jobs in the next 10 years at a time when 20 percent of the region’s workforce is nearing retirement age.
While construction has historically had a male-dominated and racially homogenous workforce, our industry is changing due to intentional efforts such as those spearheaded by Metro’s Construction Careers Pathways Project (also known as C2P2). As industry continues to report a continued shortage of skilled workforce talent, there is an opportunity to tap into existing resources to increase the number of women and people of color that make up a skilled, qualified and diverse workforce pipeline.
Through Metro’s initiative in bringing together public owners to build a regional model of diversity, equity, and inclusion in construction contracting, procurement, and workforce, we have an opportunity to create a shared prosperity model. Construction is one of the few industries still offers a family-sustaining career, with wages averaging $35 per hour and full benefits. Through access to good careers with good wages and benefits, we can create financial stability for our regional workforce, which can be life changing.
Diversifying the construction workforce not only directly addresses the labor shortage; it directly addresses issues of poverty and economic mobility within communities of color and working families in the region. Nationally, women make up only three percent of the skilled trades in the construction industry, and people of color make up nineteen percent nationwide. In Oregon, women comprise just under eight percent of the skilled trades, with minorities accounting for twenty percent statewide in the industry.
Without a pathway to financial independence and stability, women can become limited in their choices, in their personal safety, and in their long-term health and well-being. Lack of access to well-paid job opportunities is one reason poverty rates for women are substantially higher than those for men—here in Oregon, almost a third of households headed by single women live below the self-sufficiency standard according to the 2017 report, Count Her In, by the Women’s Foundation of Oregon. For women of color in Oregon, the situation is even direr as 86% of Black and Latino female-headed households with children do not have sufficient income to meet their basic needs.
The report notes that improving educational outcomes for Oregon’s women will not solve this problem as the earnings gap for women actually widens with more educational attainment. Because Oregon’s female workforce is concentrated in low-wage occupations, in fact 60% of all minimum wage workers in Oregon are women, connecting women to construction careers can mean economic stability for a significant percentage of our families.
This is why Oregon Tradeswomen joined with a host of other organizations across the region in support of Metro’s C2P2 model, working with public agencies, labor unions, workforce development organizations, and contractors, to leverage capital investments to grow and diversify the region’s workforce. By recruiting and supporting women and people of color in the skilled trades, we strengthen our construction workforce for decades to come while at the same time, creating needed financial stability for families and communities through this shared prosperity model.
As we make progress toward these shared goals, our region’s economy will be stronger and more equitable.
Wire a Light 2020 Dates Announcement
Would you like to learn about the possibilities a career as an electrician offers? The NECA-IBEW Electrical Training Center is hosting SIX “Wire a Light” workshops for women who have an interest in the electrical trades. During this free workshop, you can learn how to wire a light, meet women electricians in the industry, and find out how to start your career as an electrician.
Dates & Registration:
February 6, 2020
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Register for the 2/6 workshop
April 2, 2020
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Register for the 4/2 workshop
June 4, 2020
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Register for the 6/4 workshop
August 10, 2020
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Register for the 8/10 workshop
October 1, 2020
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Register for the 10/1 workshop
December 3, 2020
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Register for the 12/3 workshop
Location:
NECA-IBEW Electrical Training Center
16021 NE Airport Way
Bus Lines:
NECA-IBEW Electrical Training Center is accessible via TriMet bus lines 74 and 87.
Do Good With the Give!Guide
Oregon Tradeswomen works nonstop to educate and empower women in achieving financial independence by pursuing careers in the skilled trades, while at the same time diversifying the industry. For the good work we do in the community and in the lives of hundreds of women and families, we were one of the local nonprofit organizations selected to participate in the Willamette Week Give!Guide again in 2019! The Give!Guide is a citywide fundraising campaign supporting 152 non-profit organizations, which also aims to inspire the habit of end of year giving among those under age 36.
The Give!Guide makes giving fun! Each week there will be a designated Big Give Day where your donation of $10 or more on that day enters you in a drawing to win something big! On some of the Big Give Days, donors under the age of 36 have twice the chance of winning!
The Big Give Days:
November 1
Give: $10 or more
You Get: A $500 shopping spree to Powell’s Books
If You’re 35 or Under: You have twice the chance of winning, as a second gift card will be given to one donor under the age of 36!
November 7
Give: $10 or more
You Get: New snow gear from Patagonia [$600 value], a two-night stay at Five Pine Lodge and four single-day lift tickets to Mt. Bachelor!
November 14
Give: $10 or more
You Get: A Sony RX100 VA mirrorless camera from Pro Photo Supply
If You’re 35 or Under: You have twice the chance of winning, as a second Sony RX100 VA camera will be given to one donor under the age of 36!
November 21
Give: $10 or more
You Get: Two tickets with parking to the Portland Trail Blazers vs. Minnesota (12/21/2019) game, two tickets with parking to the Trail Blazers vs. Milwaukie (01/11/2020), and a basketball signed by the entire team!
December 3
Give: $10 or more
You Get: Two nights at Brasada Ranch in a Luxury suite and a round of golf
If You’re 35 or Under: You have twice the chance of winning, as a second Brasada vacation package will be given to one donor under the age of 36!
December 5
Give: $10 or more
You Get: Two weekend passes to Feast Portland 2020, a $500 gift card from New Seasons Market, a $150 gift card to Tasty n Daughters and one year’s supply of goodies from:
December 12
Give: $10 or more
You Get: A Tender Loving Empire vinyl package and weekend passes to Treefort Music Fest, Sisters Folk Festival, McMenamins Sabertooth Fest, Oregon Jamboree, Harefest and two tickets to the select show of your choice at the Portland Jazz Festival.
(The vinyl package includes four new TLE releases on vinyl with digital downloads, a $100 shopping spree, a comfy crewneck, a campfire mug for your adventures, and a set of three art prints.)
December 19
Give: $10 or more
You Get: A Specialized FX 1 Commuter Bike from Bike Gallery.
December 26
Give: $10 or more
You Get: A vacation package from the Oregon Cultural Trust that will take you across the amazing state we are lucky enough to call home! Visit giveguide.org for more details.
Throughout the Give!Guide there will be free events where you can show up and do good in person! Meet the non-profits in the Give!Guide, eat and drink fabulous local refreshments, and dance to banging beats produced by members of our lovely Portland arts community!
Please add these events to your calendar:
Give!Guide Kickoff Party
November 1, 2019, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Jupiter NEXT
900 East Burnside Street
Portland, OR 97214
Give!Guide Presents: Bocha feat. KayelaJ (DHH Accessible)
November 22, 2019, 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Holocene Portland
1001 SE Morrison Street
Portland, OR 97214
Give!Guide Presents: Drae Slapz feat. Brown Calculus and Rasheed Jamal
December 12, 2019, 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Mississippi Studios
3939 N Mississippi Blvd
Portland, OR 97227
If you are unable to make a gift, we encourage you to stay involved by attending the Give!Guide’s free events and sharing our campaign with your social networks! Any help is appreciated!
We cannot wait to DO GOOD with you!
Blockhead: New Book by Oregon Tradeswomen TACC Graduate
In her creative nonfiction collection Blockhead, Grace Covill-Grennan documents her experiences working as a carpenter in the building trades, exploring the intersection of issues of gender, class, craft, and labor and how it all plays out on the job site. She uses hybrid-genre pieces—vignettes, character sketches, memories, and poetry—while attending to the issues of gender and class providing constant discomfort.
Grace will be in Portland for the book release event at Black Hat Books!
November 15, 2019
7:00 pm
Black Hat Books
2831 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.
Portland OR 97212
You may also purchase your copy of her handmade and numbered book from Another New Calligraphy.
Redmond Rural Training Project
Given the significant demand for diverse, skilled, and qualified construction workers in the area to meet industry labor demands, Oregon Tradeswomen piloted our apprenticeship – readiness-training program, Trades and Apprenticeship Career Class (TACC) in Redmond, Oregon in September 2019. The pilot training was made possible by generous support from our union trades partners who provided critical support to make the class in Redmond a reality. From holding mock interviews, to providing hands-on instruction, to hosting graduation at UA Local 290 – our industry partners were involved to ensure the pilot was successful. Oregon Tradeswomen is grateful for their commitment to helping women gain access to great careers with good wages so they can support themselves and their families!
With financial support from North America’s Building Trades Unions in Washington, D.C. and local support from Robert Camarillo, Executive Secretary of the Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council, Oregon Tradeswomen was able to work with regional industry and community partners in Central Oregon. In turn, our partners in Central Oregon were critical in helping to recruit jobseekers and connect to local employers: Heather Fitch and East Cascades Workforce Board, Wendell Jim at the Warm Springs Tribal Employment Resource Office, Rena Gibney of the Oregon Department of Human Services Self-Sufficiency Programs and Joe Mizzolo of WorkSource Redmond and our many friends at Central Oregon Community College for all of their support as well.
Thanks to our industry partners for lending their time, talent and support to this project:
- UA Local 290
- NECA IBEW Electrical Training Center and IBEW Local 48
- NECA IBEW Central Training Center and IBEW Local 280
- Oregon Laborers Apprenticeship & Training
- Cement Masons Apprenticeship Local 555
- Ironworkers Apprenticeship Local 29
- Roofers Apprenticeship Local 49
- Pacific Northwest Carpenters Training Institute
- IUOE Local 701 Apprenticeship
- Oregon Bricklayers and Allied Crafts
Oregon Tradeswomen also extends immense gratitude to our friend Dave Burger of UA Local 290. Dave went above and beyond to ensure this pilot training in Redmond was successful. He arrived early, stayed late, and offered tremendous support to our team as well as to jobseekers. Dave connected program participants to one another for transportation, support, helped refer women to the program, cooked food for program participants and staff, and demonstrated what an industry partner committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion looks like. Oregon Tradeswomen is eternally grateful.
Fifteen program participants completed the apprenticeship readiness training program and received a pre-apprenticeship training certificate from the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, demonstrating their competencies and achievement in being prepared for registered apprenticeship and employment in the skilled trades. Oregon Tradeswomen was honored to host Oregon’s Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle as our keynote speaker at the graduation ceremony. Commissioner Hoyle’s service to the great state of Oregon, and her commitment to equity and justice, made us proud to have her speak to the graduates and their families.
Congratulations to the TACC program graduates – we wish them all well on their journey forward!
- Wanda Berry
- Eva Brewer
- Kayla Burns
- Claudia (Paloma) Castro
- Laura (K.K) Crowe
- Audreanna (Audrey) De La Rosa
- Lianna Erwert
- Peggy Gilbert
- Susan Guerin
- Camille Hernandez
- Lara Martinez
- Damaris Monroy
- Kelli Moody
- Susan Mulkey
- Ryleigh Shiner
- Amelia Templeton
You Built With Us!
Build With Us!, Oregon Tradeswomen’s third annual Blue Collar Gala, was filled to capacity with excitement, generosity and a few happy tears! YOU turned out in force with an overwhelming outpouring of support that exceeded our goal and will help set us up to serve even more tradeswomen in our new training facility in January. The incredible spirit of community and unwavering commitment to equity, inclusion, and economic justice is humbling.
Congratulations to four incredible people, nominated by the industry and awarded for their commitment to being leaders in their trades. Valerie Curbelo, Shaz Lynch, Sara Moore, and Aisha Winters (Not Pictured) were selected for the award by Oregon Tradeswomen’s Board of Directors, not an easy feat considering the field of 27 exceptional nominees.
Two new honors were also awarded this year: The Equity Partner Award and the Wanda Hall Legacy Award. The Equity Partner Award was given to Rod Belisle, Training Director at the NECA-IBEW Electrical Training Center, to honor his commitment to increasing diversity in the electrical trade, and for being an incredible partner to Oregon Tradeswomen.
The other new award in 2019 was a posthumous award presented to the daughters of Wanda Hall of the Portland Water Bureau. Wanda’s enthusiasm and dedication to uplifting women in the trades through support and mentorship will be missed. Starting in 2020, Oregon Tradeswomen will solicit nominations for the Wanda Hall Legacy Award to honor other women in the trades whose commitment to informing and mentoring the next generation stands out. Oregon Tradeswomen salutes all the winners and nominees for their perseverance, passion, and grit, and thank them for their many contributions to our community, industry, and movement.
The staff and board of Oregon Tradeswomen thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generosity – helping us build the future home of Oregon Tradeswomen and increasing our capacity to help more women change their lives. Thank you for helping us pave a pathway to prosperity for the women who want to work in construction and a brighter future for our region’s construction workforce and industry.
We hope you had a wonderful time and we look forward to seeing you next year!
Oregon Tradeswomen Supporters Bring on Industry Challenge!
“We admire the ability of Oregon Tradeswomen to do outreach and offer training that helps people be work ready in such a short time. We want to make sure everyone who needs more workers knows about this incredible resource and help them train even more construction workers!”
~ HoneyPot Fund donors
Oregon Tradeswomen is truly lucky to have such tremendous support across our industry and community to live our mission and work in supporting women into skilled trades careers and economic self-sufficiency.
Two such donors, who wish to remain anonymous, created the “HoneyPot Fund” to support our Pathways to Success program and general operation support for our expansion to Rockwood. These incredible donors are challenging others to step up to fund our apprenticeship readiness program and help ensure more women have good careers with good wages and benefits to support themselves and their families.
What’s the Challenge?
The HoneyPot Fund is offering $10,000 to match any $10,000 donation to Oregon Tradeswomen!
When is the Challenge?
You can donate online today, join us at Build with Us! and raise your paddle for $10,000 or go old school and send us a check to:
Oregon Tradeswomen
ATTN: HoneyPot Fund
454 SE 187th Avenue
Portland OR 97233
How Can I Support the Challenge?
Are you ready to put your wallet behind your conviction to a diverse, skilled, and equitable workforce? We knew you’d say YES! Donate today and challenge others in our industry and community!
How will my donation help?
Your generous contribution will be matched by the HoneyPot Fund to help support Oregon Tradeswomen’s continued growth, our move to Rockwood, and allow us to support more women securing their economic future through and help meet industry demand for a skilled and diverse workforce!
Thank you for your support and stepping up to the HoneyPot Industry Challenge!
With gratitude & love,
Oregon Tradeswomen
Preserving the Registered Apprenticeship Model
Since the introduction of the Industry Recognized Apprenticeship Program (IRAP) concept, there has been concern in the field about creating another form of apprenticeship including oversight, alignment, equity components, and guidance on how employers implement anti-harassment and discrimination requirements as well as other issues such as portability, and industry standards. The DOL’s proposed rule would formally include IRAPs in the Code of Federal Regulations (29 CFR Part 29) that govern the RA system under the National Apprenticeship Act of 1937.
Additionally, the rule aims to establish a process to authorize third-party “Standards Recognition Entities (SREs)” that would recognize IRAPs. The proposed rule describes what entities may become SREs; what their responsibilities and requirements would be; hallmarks of the high-quality apprenticeship programs they would recognize; and how the administrator of the Office of Apprenticeship would interact with them. The rule also describes how IRAPs would operate in parallel with the RA system.
This proposed rule change is an important moment that will affect the future of apprenticeship and access, opportunity and equity in apprenticeship – please take time to respond to public comment in sharing your knowledge and expertise during this comment period.
Download the Talking Points document
The deadline to submit comments is August 26, 2019! Please make your voice heard!