Community Partners
LinkedIn Learning Teaches Construction Fundamentals
In 2018, Mary Ann Naylor, Oregon Tradeswomen’s Communications and Marketing Director, was approached directly by Linda Sellheim of LinkedIn Learning, also known as Lynda.com, a massive online learning resource for professional development. Linda was interested in creating a video series for LinkedIn Learning exploring careers in the construction trades, what working those jobs entails, and dispelling myths about the trades along the way. Most importantly, she was looking for a tradeswoman to be the face and voice leading the series!
After a productive meeting with Oregon Tradeswomen’s Development and Communications team, we directed Linda to the NECA-IBEW Electrical Training Center (NIETC) and our friend Bridget Quinn, who works as their Workforce Development Coordinator. We knew Bridget would be a prime candidate to lead a series on construction fundamentals. Not only is Bridget a Journey-level tradeswoman, but her role at the NIETC revolves around working with prospective apprentice-applicants to provide them with resources and guidance needed to successfully access union apprenticeship. Bridget is also a huge ally for Oregon Tradeswomen when we hold our Annual Career Fair at the Electrical Training Center and is a recipient of the Daily Journal of Commerce’s Women of Vision Award in 2017!
We are pleased to share links to the LinkedIn Learning track featuring Bridget Quinn. Videos are live on LinkedIn Learning and we encourage you to preview this incredible resource we hope will help many understand and access the world of the construction trades!
Helen Getchell Women of Color in the Trades Fund
Oregon Tradeswomen is committed to increasing the participation of women in the skilled trades, and we have shifted our outreach to focus on women of color who remain significantly under-represented in the construction industry, here in Oregon and across the nation.
We know women of color leave the construction industry at higher rates than both white women and their male counterparts, and Oregon Tradeswomen is working to address barriers and increase retention. There are many factors contributing to these high attrition rates, and Oregon Tradeswomen is working to help address those issues.
- We are focusing on strong public policy to ensure participation goals are in place on public project for a diverse workforce.
- We are working to create access to quality, affordable childcare.
- We are committed to addressing harassment and discrimination in the workplace.
These are just some of the ways we seek to shift the numbers, support our industry, and improve outcomes for workers in our communities. The Helen Getchell Fund was established to specifically provide support to help increase the retention of success of our sisters of color in the construction industry.
More about The Helen Getchell Women of Color in the Trades Fund
The Helen Getchell Women of Color in the Trades Fund is a designated fund housed and managed at Oregon Tradeswomen. Through the fund, women of color who demonstrate need are provided with direct financial support to successfully complete pre-apprenticeship and enter into employment and registered apprenticeship in the skilled trades.
The fund is advised by members of the Helen Getchell Giving Circle, which is comprised of the fund’s founder, Charlene Getchell, and invited community and industry stakeholders who are committed to ensuring access, opportunity and equity for women of color in the skilled trades.
Or mail your gift to:
Oregon Tradeswomen
454 SE 187th Avenue
Portland, OR 97233
Wire A Light Dates Announced for 2019
Would you like to learn about the possibilities a career as an electrician offers? The NECA-IBEW Electrical Training Center is hosting four “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:
September 19, 2019
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Register for the 9/19 workshop
December 5, 2019
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Register for the 12/5 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.
Oregon Tradeswomen LOVES Dovetail Workwear
Shop. Save. Support Oregon Tradeswomen!
Oregon Tradeswomen is both honored and thrilled to announce that we are the first affiliate partner for Dovetail Workwear, which means ALL of Oregon Tradeswomen’s community – from students, graduates, field instructors, donors, volunteers, staff, and members can receive a 10% discount on purchases simply by using this link to shop: dovtl.me/oretrd! In addition to your 10% off, Dovetail Workwear also makes a commensurate 10% donation to Oregon Tradeswomen!
Dovetail workwear is more than a manufacturer of top-quality workwear made specifically for women, they’re an important partner in supporting women to succeed in the skilled trades and other traditionally male occupations. They have intentionally developed their entire product line by collecting input and feedback from women working in construction, manufacturing, landscaping, and other physically demanding industries.
Oregon Tradeswomen Grads on a Path to Leadership with Skanska
This past summer, Skanska USA Building and Oregon Tradeswomen partnered to recruit candidates for local, career-path field engineer positions. Skanska, one of the largest, most financially sound construction and development companies in the U.S., created the position to develop an entry-level path to leadership and management.
Field engineers support project engineers, superintendents and project managers. They hold key roles in ensuring the safe execution of activities, which include supervising day-to-day field teams, co-creating site logistics plans, conducting quality inspections, coordinating site testing and inspections, and managing schedules.
Oregon Tradeswomen helped the Skanska team identify local woman who possessed the skill-set sought for the new position.
Oregon Tradeswomen recently talked with Katie Coulson, LEED AP, Vice President – Account Manager with Skanska USA Building Inc. and former member of Oregon Tradeswomen’s Board of Directors, to learn a little more about this new leadership-track position. The fact that these new positions are being created to help manage one of Skanska’s most complex construction projects demonstrates its commitment to growing talent and making opportunities available for advancement. Of the handful of workers hired as the first field engineers, two are Oregon Tradeswomen graduates. Congratulations to Sara Moore and Doc Kenney!
In talking with Katie, we learned that Skanska is exploring ways to move more women into leadership roles. The new field engineer role provides an opportunity to work closely with field superintendents and grow into leadership roles. The leadership pipeline is critical for Skanska and provides a pathway there.
Skanska has a long commitment to hiring diverse workers. Katie explained, “It is this structure that helps make it a great company for women to work and grow in their careers. There are numerous women working on this project in leadership positions such as a general foreman, superintendent, project manager, director of safety, and many women on work crews.”
Katie further explained the growth path for this position. “This is an important and timely training ground to understand various aspects of construction from an individual contributor to a leadership role. The field engineer position will manage and prioritize safe working conditions, and will have key responsibilities working with crews, project managers, schedules, as well as getting trained on all of the aspects to move into a superintendent role.”
We didn’t want to fish for compliments, but we were curious about any standout qualities the newly hired Oregon Tradeswomen graduates, Sara Moore and Doc Kenney, exhibited. We learned that being driven, along with their problem-solving skills are important qualities for leadership. Skanska’s hiring team also values their understanding that even though the challenges that arise can be difficult, it is equally exciting to work through those issues to deliver a great product. Above and beyond those qualities, having good communication skills to work with multiple people is a key part of the position.
The opportunities in construction and other skilled trades might be better now than at any time in past. As society changes, more opportunities for women and minorities are opening, and construction is an incredible and dynamic industry with many paths for jobs with growth opportunities and benefits. This diversity is a benefit to the entire workforce, and success breeds success.
We applaud Skanska for their commitment to providing growth and leadership opportunities to women and racially diverse workers, and are incredibly excited for Oregon Tradeswomen graduates, Sara and Doc, on this exciting and well-deserved achievement.
About Skanska USA:
Skanska USA’s local operations comprise the Oregon and Southwest Washington regions, and in 2017 had gross revenues of $907 million. The 2017 combined Oregon and Washington gross revenues totaled $1.41 billion.
It is one of the largest, most financially sound construction and development companies in the U.S., serving a broad range of clients including those in transportation, power, industrial, water/wastewater, healthcare, education, sports, data centers, government, aviation, life sciences and commercial. Headquartered in New York with offices in 31 metro areas, we have nearly 11,000 employees committed to being leaders in safety, project execution, sustainability, ethics and people development. In 2017, our work in building construction, civil and power/industrial construction, commercial development and infrastructure development (public-private partnerships) generated $7.3 billion in revenue. Global revenue of parent company Skanska AB, headquartered in Stockholm and listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange, totaled $18.8 billion in 2017. Skanska shares are publicly traded in the U.S. on the OTC market under the symbol SKBSY through a Level I American Depository Receipt program.
The Dropbox Derby Experience
On September 3rd, 2018, 27 teams of four gathered at the Eastbank Esplanade to compete in Lovett Deconstruction‘s Dropbox Derby, a building competition in the style of Iron Chef. Just 24 hours prior to the event, teams were given the theme, “A Seat at the Table,” and an inventory of salvaged materials was delivered. Actual building-time was limited to 4 hours – afterward, these finished products would be judged and then auctioned off, with the proceeds going to support Oregon Tradeswomen.
The morning kicked off with a spirited pep talk by Lovett Deconstruction’s Der Lovett, and at 10:00 a.m. sharp, the teams hurried over to the piles of materials and gathered their share of supplies. The next 4 hours was a flurry of sanding, sawing, staining, drilling, and hammering, as teams were feeling the pressure of 4 hours that felt more like 30 minutes!
Oregon Tradeswomen competed this year, too. The team of 4 was comprised of two board members, Moe Gauthier, and Meghan Moyer, and two staff members, Abby Bandurraga, and Trytten Tehrani. The team’s concept for “A Seat at the Table” was a hexagonal children’s picnic bench where everyone is the head of the table. The table top had a geometric inlay of wood of different colors representing the unity between all the different people who share the planet.
The level of artistry and craftsmanship at the Dropbox Derby was impressive. Many spectators wove through the Eastbank Esplanade observing the teams diligently working together to assemble their unique projects piece by salvaged piece. Once the building portion was complete, judges filed through to talk to each team about their finished products. The judging criteria included Aesthetics, Creative Use of Materials, Craft, and Theme.
There were many different ways in which teams interpreted “A Seat at the Table.”
With an honorable mention, Team OG crafted a tabletop with the image of a woman with outstretched arms which intended to symbolize welcoming everyone to the table.
In 3rd place, Team Feathered Caulk decided to challenge themselves and build the most complex type of table they could imagine: a fully functioning Foosball table!
In 2nd place, Team Neil Kelly, built a beautifully designed bench made up of two seats facing opposite directions, with their arm rests joined together to make a table.
In 1st place, Team Engaging Environments built a table with a seat within it. The seat represents the patriarchal oligarchy in which we live. Half of the table is not seen on the surface, but it functions by holding the rest of it up. This represents workers of all genders and ethnicities who are an essential part of our social systems, but are often unheard. This project was also honored with the People’s Choice Award.
The Dropbox Derby is an experience like no other. Vast imaginations, great skill, and fierce teamwork all came together to create stunning structures with a message. We are so grateful to Lovett Deconstruction for organizing this stupendous event and for honoring Oregon Tradeswomen by naming our nonprofit organization as the beneficiaries of the auction proceeds.
Oregon Tradeswomen is grateful to all 27 teams for their creativity and talent, as well as all those who came out, cheered on, and bid on these handmade masterpieces. We are so lucky to have this community and we cannot wait to see what is in store for next year!
Oregon Tradeswomen is Headed to Women Build Nations 2018!
Women Build Nations is an annual conference where more than 1,900 tradeswomen from around the globe, representing every craft, come together for a weekend of workshops, plenary sessions, and networking. Women Build Nations welcomes all women of all ages and skill levels to come build relationships, learn from each other, and be a part of the largest conference for tradeswomen in North America.
Group Travel
This year the conference is being held in Seattle, Washington, so Oregon Tradeswomen staff will be heading North for Women Build Nations as a group and we would like to ride with a tradeswomen contingent! Please join us on Friday October 12 on the 12:00 pm – 3:30 pm train. Amtrak is also offering a 10% discount, but you must call to make your reservation at 1-800-872-7245 using code X90H-999. For additional travel information and resources, please visit the Women Build Nations website.
Scholarships
Oregon Tradeswomen is happy to offer two scholarships for tradeswomen who want to attend Women Build Nations. If you’re interested, please send email to Tiffany Thompson at tiffany@tradeswomen.net. Scholarships are offered on a first come, first served basis. If you haven’t asked your union or employer to send you yet, now is the time to get it done! Women Build Nations has online resources to help you write a letter requesting sponsorship.
Women Build Nations is the biggest tradeswomen focused convention in North America and this year it is in our backyard. We hope to see you there this October!
Excitement Over Oregon Tradeswomen’s Annual Picnic and All Class Reunion!
On Sunday, August 12, 2018, from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm, Oregon Tradeswomen is hosting our Annual Picnic at Creston Park in Southeast Portland, complete with food, games, camaraderie, and fun!
This year, the picnic will also serve as an all-class reunion where we hope to see dozens of tradeswomen who went through our Trades and Apprenticeship Career Class show up to represent! The class with the highest percentage of alum at the picnic will win a prize. There will be more opportunities for competition and prizes as we will be holding a cornhole contest where the top two winners will win a pair of Portland Thorns tickets!
We want to take a moment to shout out Las Primas, a fantastic woman-owned business, for catering our event with delectable Peruvian cuisine (We are so excited to indulge in their home-style churros)! An additional thank you goes out to IBEW’s Credit Union for preparing a picnic themed gift basket for the event!
The Annual Picnic is going to be a spectacular opportunity to come reconnect with classmates, network with tradeswomen, indulge in a splendid meal, and win prizes!
We hope to see you on Sunday, August 12th at Creston Park from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm!
Portland Metro Region Construction Workforce Market Study
Oregon Tradeswomen works to increase the number of women and people of color entering the skilled trades, but there are still significant barriers that make recruitment and retention of a challenge. A Workforce Market Study was jointly commissioned in January 2017 by The City of Portland and Metro, (Oregon regional governance and the only one in the nation), with the support of Oregon Tradeswomen, the National Association of Minority Contractors of Oregon (NAMCO), Oregon Employment Department (OED), Portland State University (PSU), and Worksystems Inc. to learn more about how to invest in equitable growth through diversifying our workforce.
Why should we care about diversifying our workforce? The new report states, “Diversifying the construction workforce will not only help create a stronger supply of needed workers for the industry, it will also directly address issues of poverty and economic mobility within communities of color and working families in the region.” The construction industry is also in the midst of a labor shortage. Ideally, we can prepare women and minorities to be those ideal candidates to help fill the labor gap. It isn’t as easy as it seems, though, as the study identifies barriers that make recruitment and retention of these demographics a challenge.
The study outlined 9 main barriers that hinder recruitment and retention of women and minorities in the trades. Many trades jobs come from personal referral, say from a father or friend who is already in the industry. The study shows that women and minorities have less of these gateway experiences. This goes hand in hand with the fact that there are not many communities or social networks within the industry for women and people of color which minimizes the exposure someone from those communities might have to the trades. It was also found that marginalized communities face more hardships than others due to financial issues, child care, transportation, among other things that can stand in the way of them continuing their careers.
Although Oregon Tradeswomen does great work preparing women to join the construction workforce and gives them support throughout their careers, however, there are limits to our capacity to train students, primarily due to structural limitations as to when we can conduct training and offer hands-on experiences to build skills. More than 1,100 women seek our pre-apprenticeship training each year. The problem isn’t that women aren’t interested in a career in construction, but rather, we have a limited number of slots in each cohort. This is a common barrier among pre-apprenticeship and job-readiness programs.
Some of the other barriers that keep women and people of color from continuing a career in the trades are the outdated policies that shape noninclusive jobsite cultures where women and people of color experience sexist and racist attitudes. These policies can foster hostile work environments, poor-quality training for new workers (which then makes it harder for those workers to excel and advance), and fewer opportunities for promotion for women and people of color.
As a way to address the disparity in our region, the study outlined three goals:
- Increase recruitment of diverse workers
- Increase retention of diverse workers
- Develop more robust equity policy and practices
Each of the goals are broken down into action items such as “Ensure steady funding streams to increase capacity of pre-apprenticeship programs,” “Address construction job site culture through respectful workplace trainings with proven results,” and “Enforce contract goals with consequences of non-compliance.”
While there is much work to be done, this study clearly marks a path that we as a community, and hopefully one day as a country, can work towards. There are countless women and people of color who are willing and able to do good work in the construction industry and help fill the labor shortage, but it is the industry as a whole that needs to step up to properly set these workers up for success.
Read the full Portland Metro Region Construction Workforce Market Study.
Dropbox Derby 2018
Lovett Deconstruction announced its first ever Dropbox Derby in 2017 and it was a rousing success! Now an annual event, Lovett’s Drobox Derby hosts thirty teams, comprised of 2-4 people, and the teams have four hours with identical packages of salvaged materials to build on a theme. Last year’s concept was “Bridge House” which led to creations such as these:
After the building portion, a panel of three judges come to an agreement as to which finished products win each of the three top design awards! Watch the 2017 Dropbox Derby video.
The concept for Dropbox Derby came from Der Lovett, the owner of Lovett Deconstruction. He wanted to do something with all the salvaged wood that came from old deconstructed Portland buildings as well finding as a way to participate in PDX Rust’s Portland ReUse for Societal Transformation: A Week of Neighborhood ReUse Events. Last year’s event was such a success that they will be hosting the event again during the 2018 Portland ReUse for Societal Transformation.
This event is free and open to the public, featuring excellent food, local ciders, live music, and an opportunity to bid on any of the finished products! It’s like an Iron Chef for builders mixed with a block party! And the best part is that all the proceeds will go to support Oregon Tradeswomen and our mission!
We hope to see you out there on Monday, September 3rd, from 10am-6pm to support Oregon Tradeswomen and your favorite builders at this unique event! Join the event on Facebook!
