Community Partners
Hands On Metal Fabrication at ADX Portland
TACC students learning how to assemble their frames
On Thursday, February 8, 2018, Oregon Tradeswomen’s Trades and Apprenticeship Career Class (TACC) had the opportunity to get hands on experience with metal fabrication! Metal fabrication is the altering of raw materials by way of bending, cutting, welding, etc. in order to build structures. This hands on day happened at ADX Portland, a makerspace where people can share tools and knowledge, and take advantage of a huge facility with a wood shop, metal shop, print shop, and jewelry shop.
TACC students learning how to operate a Horizontal Band Saw
Our students were tasked with creating their own plaque stands. They were each given 5 sections of channel iron and learned how to cut and grind their materials. They used a horizontal band saw to cut, and a disc grinder to grind down and clean up the edges. Students learned the ever valuable lesson, “measure twice, cut once,” a carpenter’s proverb that also applies to metal fabrication. This rule is important to consider because it is, of course, faster to double check your measurements than cut incorrectly and have to waste time and resources making the cut again.
Measure twice, cut once!
Once each of the students prepped their materials, the class learned how to “tack weld” their iron segments together to make a frame. A tack weld is just a series of small welds spaced some distance apart. This type of weld is usually only a temporary step in the welding process, but it holds the assembled components in place and ensures their alignment which is all that is needed for a small project like a plaque stand. After the welds are complete, the students cleaned them up by gently using an angle grinder to smooth out any protruding material.
TACC students tacking their segments together
It was clear that our students were enthusiastic about learning to craft with metal and it was an added perk that they got to take home something that they build with their own two hands! Special thanks to ADX for allowing our students to learn about another great option for a career in their beautiful space.
Our students’ final product!
Oregon Tradeswomen Grads Working for Living Room Realty
Recently, Living Room Realty was searching to fill a brand new in-house Maintenance Coordinator position and out of the 7 women who applied, two stood out above the rest: Ash Jimenez, an Oregon Tradeswomen graduate, and Kathleen George, were so well received that Living Room Realty created a whole other maintenance position in order to keep them both!
Ash, whom Sarah remembered from the tradeswomen fashion show at Oregon Tradeswomen’s Annual Career Fair, took the role of Maintenance Coordinator and Kathleen, an experienced general contractor of 20 years and the owner of her own painting business, is their new Maintenance Manager.
Ash Jimenez at Oregon Tradeswomen’s “Build With Us: A Blue Collar Gala”
Living Room Realty is a female owned and almost all female-staffed local company that is committed to giving back to the community. Their owner, Jenelle Isaacson, and her Executive Assistant Sarah McBee met when they served together on the Board of Directors for the Rock and Roll Camp for Girls and are involved in a variety of philanthropic endeavors around Portland.
Living Room Realty’s commitment to giving back to the community shines through in their work: they have a designated charitable giving fund called The Loving Room Fund that benefits three nonprofits for the year. The fund is currently committed to helping:
- P:ear, a nonprofit that creatively mentors homeless youth.
- Urban Gleaners, an organization that is dedicated to reducing waste by rescuing edible surplus food that would otherwise be thrown away and donating it to hungry children and their families.
- Oregon Wild, a nonprofit that works to protect and restore Oregon’s wildlife, wild-lands, and waters.
We want to extend very well deserved congratulations to Ash and Kathleen as they embark on this new journey! BIG thanks to Living Room Realty for their support of Oregon Tradeswomen and the communities that make Oregon a wonderful place to live.
Senator Ron Wyden Talks Infrastructure at Town Hall
Oregon Senator Ron Wyden held a press conference on Thursday, February 1, 2018, about the dire need for federal funding to fix roads and bridges not only in Oregon, but across the United States.
The press conference took place at the Marquam Bridge, one of the bridges in Multnomah County in need of structural reinforcement in the case of a seismic event. Nearly all of Oregon’s major construction unions were represented at the event, as well as Oregon Tradeswomen’s Executive Director, Kelly Kupcak.
Pictured from Left: Kelly Kupcak (Oregon Tradeswomen), Nicole Rappaport (Local 701), AJ Banuelos (Local 737), and U.S. Senator Ron Wyden
Senator Wyden addressed President Trump’s purported intention to raise $1.5 trillion to fix our nation’s failing infrastructure. Senator Wyden said, “The way you improve bridges and roads and do all the great work these people do is with real federal dollars… We still haven’t heard from the president and the Republicans how that’s going to happen.”
Sources from the Trump administration claim that only $200 billion would come from the federal government, putting the pressure on state and local governments to raise the rest of the money. Since 2003, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has been making major efforts to fix Oregon’s bridges and even with the $5.2 billion plan approved by state legislature in 2017 to invest in our infrastructure, federal aid is needed to truly strengthen our roads and bridges to the extent needed.
In 2009, Senator Wyden authored the bi-partisan Build America bonds program that successfully generated $181 billion for public works projects and created 3,500 jobs in Oregon. Now, the Senator is calling on the current administration to help fund the rebuilding of the nation’s infrastructure by endorsing a plan to use some of the $2.6 trillion coming back into America’s economy as a result of the tax cuts implemented in December 2017.
Investing in infrastructure not only improves our local and national economy by creating jobs and reliable mobility for people and businesses, but it is also a critical issue of public safety. We applaud Senator Wyden for his efforts in making sure that funding to maintain a strong infrastructure for our country is a priority for our government.
Thank you for Supporting Oregon Tradeswomen in the Willamette Week Give!Guide!
Thank you for helping make Oregon Tradeswomen’s Give!Guide campaign such a success!
We are so grateful to have been included in the Willamette Week Give!Guide again in 2017 – a fantastic opportunity for local non-profits to reach new and long-time supporters alike.
All we can say is WOW and THANK YOU! We are completely blown away by the outpouring of generosity from all of you! Between November 1st and December 31st, we received 177 gifts totaling $19,960 – only $40 short of our goal of $20,000! These gifts will go a long way in the continued effort to increase the visibility of women in the trades and building their economic independence, from supporting the Trades and Apprenticeship Career Class (TACC) to offering career and leadership support as they grow in their Trade
A special thank you and round of high fives to our fabulous Oregon Tradeswomen Alumnae, who contributed an impressive $1,224!
As gifts began to come in, so too did the seriously heartwarming words of appreciation and support. Here are a few of our favorites:
“Thank you Oregon Tradeswomen! I have benefited greatly from your organization and mentorship and I am grateful for all of the work that you do!”
“Happy to support you all in any way I can. Thank you for the positive impact you make for the trades industry and women entering the field!”
“YOU ROCK.”
Thank you again to all of our supporters, whether you made a monetary donation, or donated your time, energy, and love to Oregon Tradeswomen and the work we’re doing together.
Happy New Year and Best Wishes for 2018!
Looking Ahead to 2018!
As we begin 2018, Oregon Tradeswomen would like to thank our industry and community partners and supporters. Each of you contribute to changing the lives of the women we serve, and we are grateful for all that you do.
With your support, we are building our capacity to reach and serve more women each day. In 2017 we provided more than 1,000 women with career education and support to pursue a career in skilled trades in construction and manufacturing.
Because of your commitment, support, and generosity, Oregon Tradeswomen was able to provide 159 women with industry skills training, hundreds of women with job placement, access to registered apprenticeship, career counseling, supportive services, advocacy, and leadership development. Our work – with your support – ensured that women were able to move themselves and their families out of poverty and into prosperity. They have gained skills and confidence and community. They have been able to build a career and a future and a sisterhood. Thank you for making all of these things and more a reality for women in the Portland region and across Oregon.
As we begin this New Year, Oregon Tradeswomen invites you to continue to support our work, and to join us as we think and dream and do – bigger and bolder.
We have big changes underway – including the development of a three-year strategic plan, revamping of our decade old pre-apprenticeship training program, and expanding services. We are raising money to purchase our own building where we will house a training workshop, community space, on-site childcare, and low-income housing. We are building an advocacy platform to ensure positive changes for women and industry at the local, state and national level are realized. We are developing a mentoring program, expanding our services to rural communities and engaging new partners.
We invite you to join us as we build this vision and our future for the women, industry and community we serve.
With gratitude,
Kelly Kupcak, Executive Director
Oregon Tradeswomen Honored With PCC Community Partner Award
Last night, Oregon Tradeswomen was honored with Portland Community College’s (PCC) first ever community partner award for a partnership with a non-profit organization.
PCC recognized three categories of partnership: non-profit, small business, and large business. At the dinner, PCC President Mark Mitsui introduced us, spoke about our partnership, and how we were one of their strongest employers who guide curriculum and give the support that allows PCC to educate and train a skilled workforce. President Mitsui then introduced the small business partner, Rebecca (Gillenwater) Smith of Blessing Landscape. As soon as they introduced her she professed, “I’m also a grad of Oregon Tradeswomen!” and the whole room cheered with excitement!
Rebecca (Gillenwater) Smith went through our pre-apprenticeship training program in 2009 and also graduated from PCC’s landscaping program. She worked in the field for a number of years and is now the landscape designer for PCC and has helped them win awards for their sustainability practices!
It was a thrilling convergence. Rebecca wanted to re-engage with Oregon Tradeswomen: she is actively looking to recruit Oregon Tradeswomen pre-apprenticeship graduates for her company and has been wanting to come and speak to students in our classes.
We are so humbled by this recognition and are also thrilled to see how our grads are positively impacting the community! Thank you PCC and keep up the good work, Rebecca!
Women on the Rise Awards
Women on the Rise award winners: Katie Kuchta, Isis Harris, Heather Mayther, and Carly Rush
On Thursday November 16, 2017 the whole country celebrated Women in Apprenticeship Day. This day is part of National Apprenticeship Week which was started during President Obama’s administration in 2015 as a call to action to increase the use of Registered apprenticeship to develop the skills of our nation’s workers and expand the talent pipeline available to U.S. Industries.
Heather Mayther, Left, with Amber McCoy, Representative Pacific Northwest Region Carpenters Institute
Aida Arranda, Apprenticeship Coordinator Oregon & S. Idaho Laborers with Katie Kuchta, and Dan Clark, General Superintendent, Skanska
While many organizations across the U.S. celebrated this year, Oregon Tradeswomen did something truly special. This year, we launched our 1st annual, “Woman on the Rise,” awards dinner. We asked four of our closest union apprenticeship partners in the Portland area to nominate four spectacular women apprentices in their program. These women are leaders, supporters of their community, and have shown excellence in their trade.
Kevin Roth, Training Coordinator Sheet Metal Institute, with Carly Rush
Carly Rush receives a hug from her proud daughter
In honor of these four award winners, Oregon Tradeswomen hosted a several course meal with the women, their friends, families, and apprenticeship coordinators to celebrate their achievements. Each apprenticeship representative spoke about their honoree with presentations and custom videos. We were also joined by Steve Simms from the state of Oregon’s Office of Apprenticeship, who gave a moving speech about the importance moving beyond just tolerance of women in the trades, to truly accepting women into these non-traditional fields.
Keith Edwards, IBEW Local 48 Member, Isis Harris, Pat Daniels of Constructing Hope, and Donna Hammond, IBEW Local 48 Member
Donna Hammond is ready to surprise Isis Harris with a bouquet of flowers
The quote of the night belongs to Donna Hammond from IBEW Local 48 who said,
“There is going to be hard work at every job, but do you want to do it for minimum wage or thirty-five dollars an hour?”
Special thanks to Oregon Tradeswomen staff member, Emma Brennan, who handmade toolboxes foe each of the award winners!
Women Build Nations 2017
This past October, a few of Oregon Tradeswomen’s finest flew to The Windy City of Chicago to attend Women Build Nations, a conference for tradeswomen to address industry issues and to learn from each other. More than 1,500 women from all over the US and the world to talk about their trade, to network and connect with other tradeswomen.
Women of all ages, skill levels, and trades had the opportunity to check out a wide variety of workshops such as:
- Anti-Oppression 101: Building Solidarity by Breaking Down Bigotry
- Tradeswomen’s History: Learning From the Past to Change the Future
- Rising to a Leadership Role in the Union: Examples and Advice
- Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: Letting Go of Feeling Like a ‘Fraud’
Oregon Tradeswomen pre-apprenticeship graduate and Journeyman Laborer, Vanessa Enos, and Isis Harris, IBEW, both received “Emerging Tradeswomen Leaders” scholarships to attend the conference and also had the honor of speaking on a tradeswomen panel, “Perspectives from the Field.” Lori Baumann, Journeyman Laborer, Liuna Field Representative, and Oregon Tradeswomen Board Member came to represent Laborers Local 737.
Other friends of Oregon Tradeswomen, Donna Hammond and Bridget Quinn from IBEW Local 48, spoke on a panel focused on recruitment and outreach of women and people of color.
This conference spoke to the needs of women in the trades and truly fostered a space where tradeswomen could be themselves and feel a camaraderie with other women who are having many of the same experiences in their careers. When only 3% of all trades positions nationwide are filled by women, the existence of an event, for tradeswomen, by tradeswomen is of utmost importance.
Thank you Chicago Women in Trades for organizing Women Build Nations 2017, and we can’t wait to see you all next year in Seattle!
Thank You to Danner Boots!
If you don’t know Danner, they are a Portland based company that has been manufacturing work boots for 85 years! They began as a small group of 12 people in the logging town of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, hand-making affordable work boots for the loggers. As logging in the Pacific Northwest kept growing, Danner moved to Portland to meet the demand. Danner manufactured boots for the US military during World War II and in the 1960s and 1970s, they started a new line of boots and shoes for the growing interest in outdoor activities such as hiking, backpacking, and mountain-climbing. Danner even developed and patented a waterproof boot using GORE-TEX ® fabric! Danner has always strived to be ahead of the game and we are so grateful that we have the privilege to partner with such an incredible local company.
Recently, we reached out to them with a request for specific boots which would allow our pre-apprenticeship students to participate in a new welding training offering, Danner stepped up like champs! Danner immediately provided a full size run of their wonderful Quarry USA boots. Our students were beyond thrilled when they received a fresh new pairs of boots, both stylish and industry appropriate.
In addition to the generous boots for our pre-apprenticeship students, Danner gave us “Friends and Family passes” to their stores which equates to a generous 40% discount! It warms our hearts when local businesses and members of our community want to pay it forward. It shows us that they value the work that we do and support these incredible women who are taking bold steps to change their own lives.
We’re excited to announce that the first 15 people who sign up as a member of Oregon Tradeswomen in the month of November will receive a “Friends and Family pass” to do their own shopping with Danner.
Thank you, Danner! We are grateful for your continued partnership and your great generosity.
Thank You to Footwear Specialites!
Oregon Tradeswomen ensures that our students are properly equipped for the work they will be doing during the hands-on learning days of the Trades and Apprenticeship Career Class. For example, when welding, it is imperative to have sturdy boots, generally made of leather, with six- to eight-inch ankle coverage and safety-toe protection.
We know how expensive good boots are, and were ecstatic when a wonderful local company, Footwear Specialties, responded to our need for boots that are welding appropriate. Footwear Specialties generously donated 10 pairs of boots to us to be used by students in our pre-apprenticeship program. In addition, they’ve offered a 40% discount to all Oregon Tradeswomen members, staff, and board!
Footwear Specialties was started in 1996 by people who had worked in athletic footwear and who wanted to blend the lightweight features of athletic shoes with the safety features of work shoes/boots. The result is a growing line of innovative footwear. They offer over 200 different styles to meet the increasingly technical demands of industrial workers and working environments and even are committed to creating shoes and boots specifically designed for women.
There’s a warm, fuzzy feeling we get when local businesses, organizations, and folks from our community want to get involved or pay it forward. These actions show us that people value the work Oregon Tradeswomen does and that they want to support the incredible women who are changing their own lives by going through our pre-apprenticeship program. A big, gracious thank you to Footwear Specialties for their donation and continued support. We hope you will show them some love for their generosity and commitment to tradeswomen.
Thank you, Footwear Specialties!