Guest Blog
Guest Blog: Shaley Howard
Shaley Howard is a tireless supporter of Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc.. She has immense creativity, amazing energy, and she recently embarked on a little campaign to raise awareness and support for our mission. So…. we asked Shaley to contribute a guest blog post to share more about her generous efforts. We hope you enjoy Shaley’s inspiring words and these wonderful images.
Thank you, Shaley!
Why I Support Oregon Tradeswomen
Oregon Tradeswomen (OTI) is hands down one of my favorite non-profit organizations of all time! As a woman and self identified butch lesbian, I personally have found myself marginalized throughout my lifetime. And whether it’s some form of sexual discrimination or homophobia, I’m familiar with living in an intolerant, often ignorant world that tries to dictate what a woman’s role should be both personally and professionally. Luckily I was raised by a strong, intelligent, professional mother, four obnoxiously assertive and opinionated sisters and am surrounded daily by loads of powerful and strong-minded female friends. So the idea that any woman is pre-assigned a particular role or vocation in the world is asinine to me – and OTI.
I first learned about OTI when my friend Amy James Neel began teaching there years ago. I honestly had never heard of OTI before she started there, but the more I learned about the organization, the more I loved it. An all female run organization that brings in women from all walks of life, teaches them skills in the trades and then find them living wage jobs – that’s huge. I also know how important it is for children to have positive, strong and working parents as role models. OTI gives women the ability to obtain high wage paying jobs in the trades, enables them to provide for their families and show their kids that a woman can do anything a man can do. If we want to fight poverty, racism and sexism and to teach women skills that are applicable to the world we live in and give them above average living wages – then give them a support system like OTI has in place and make sure they are able to get and keep jobs.
As someone who doesn’t actually work at OTI yet whole-heartedly supports them, the best thing I can do is help raise awareness about what they offer to women and our community. Over the years I’ve tried to come up with creative ideas – anything from making my birthday a big OTI fundraiser to volunteering at their Women in the Trades Fair to writing blogs about OTI for PQ Monthly. I’ve also brought in coffee, cupcakes and other goodies for the hardworking women that work there – if anyone deserves the occasional treat it’s these women.
My latest idea came when I was lucky enough to be selected to be on a Timbers billboard for the Portland Timbers Football Club. I thought since the image is me looking all super tough and warrior like, what better way to shout to the world who the REAL strong warriors are – the women of OTI. So I put a challenge out to anyone and everyone who took a selfie in front of my billboard, posted it and donated to OTI – I would in turn donate $5 myself. And it seems to be working! Not only are we raising some money for OTI but perhaps more importantly we’re spreading the word about all the amazing things OTI does. Hopefully the next time I’m randomly talking about OTI I won’t get the question – what is OTI?
If anyone wants to take the Timbers billboard selfie challenge it’s located at Sandy and Burnside and NE 12th.
I cannot thank all the women of OTI enough for all you do for women and our community. Go on with your badass warrior selves and change the world!
Guest Blog: Jen Netherwood
Here at Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc., we are thrilled to welcome Jen Netherwood as a guest blogger! Not only is Jen one of our Trades and Apprenticeship Career Class grads but she is also an instructor for current OTI classes, actively involved as a volunteer, and tirelessly works for access for women in the trades. We are happy to announce that Jen is the January winner of Irwin Tools’ “Nominate A Tradesman” competition.
Over the past couple of months, tradeswomen across the nation have been advocating for Irwin to change their logo and the title of their competition. We think tradeswomen should be recognized for all of their contributions to the community as well! Join us, and nominate your own tradeswomen today.
In the meantime, lets turn it over to Jen to hear more about her amazing story and the work she is doing for women at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.
For women that enter the trades, becoming a Tradeswomen has meaning far beyond the tools and skills. From simply walking onto a job-site where we are 1 of 100 workers, to standing up for our rights in court, whether we set out to do it or not, we are breaking down stereotypes and changing the face of construction. I set out to do it, to change how society defines a construction worker. I have spent my entire life in male dominated professions. First in sports, now as a Journey level carpenter, I have looked for ways I could contribute to breaking down old stereotypes.
I completed the OTI TAC Class in 2005 and went on to complete the apprenticeship program at the Pacific Northwest Carpenters Institute as one of about 4 women. It made a huge difference to me knowing that although I was in the minority, women had gone before me and at least put some gravel down on the path! I stayed involved with OTI and eventually began teaching for TAC and Building Girls. Although I really didn’t know what my path was going to be, it was clear to me that the heart of my passion for carpentry was in my desire to play a role in inspiring other women to become Tradeswomen.
In the summer of 2012 that path opened up. OTI recommended me for a position teaching a new pre-apprenticeship program at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, the only women’s prison in Oregon. I had never so much as been inside a jail and what followed was life changing for me.
With about 12 hours of training, a radio, and the knowledge that I wasn’t a really good hostage candidate, I started the program with 22 women, skill saws, hammers and utility knifes. What I observed was a group of motivated women who were willing to challenge themselves and each other to do something they had never thought they could (a couple women even said they really didn’t believe women could go into the trades).
From October 2012 to August 2013 40 women completed the BOLI certified pre-apprenticeship program at Coffee Creek. The most amazing thing I saw happen was the sense of pride that grew within so many of the women. They began to see that they could lift 3/4″ plywood, handle a circular saw, roof a house, and install Sheetrock. They started to tell me about conversations they had with their kids, how impressed their kids were that their moms knew how to build a saw horse and use a table saw.
One woman told me that her mom sent her an article about how she was one of the first female low voltage electricians for Pac Bell. This inmate had not spoken to her mom in years and they connected through her participation in the pre-apprenticeship class. Now that inmate is a material handler for IBEW and completing the steps to becoming an apprentice.
Another woman told me her 17 year old son was so inspired by her that he decided to enter the carpenters’ job core program. She was able to send him the tool belt she earned at Coffee Creek to get him started. She has worked with the courts while she’s still at Coffee Creek to develop a payment plan to get her driver’s license back when she paroles so she can pursue a career as an Ironworker.
Through experiences with inmates like these my grey area for what I thought I thought about incarcerated adults, our legal system, and our prison system grew exponentially in the 13 months I was employed.
One of the most profound conversations I had with the women went like this:
Inmate: Ms. Netherwood you treat us different.
Me: What do you mean?
Inmate: You treat us like human beings.
Me: Well aren’t you?
Unfortunately the company that I worked for decided to cancel the program in August of 2013, despite its impact on the women and clear potential for a path to family wage jobs. In 2014, 75 women who graduated from Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. averaged a starting wage of $15.18 per hour. Another 13 graduates moved from their first job to apprenticeship, raising their average to $19.02 per hour.
I have been working with Portland Community College Corrections Education since August of 2013 to build a brand new pre-apprenticeship program for Coffee Creek because I whole heartily believe that access to the skills and knowledge about how to become a Tradeswomen and earn a family living wage will be life changing for the women who complete the program.
The Department of Corrections and Portland Community College will negotiate that contract this month, March 2015. I encourage you to contact your Representatives and Senators to tell them the positive impact that access to pre-apprenticeship training for women is having. More specifically, you can have an even greater impact if you write to the Public Safety Subcommittee of Ways and Means (the budget committee for the Department of Corrections).
How to Write a Letter to your Legislators
For the incarcerated women at Coffee Creek, a construction trades pre-apprenticeship program can set them on a path to a family wage career, increased self-esteem, a positive contribution to society, a tangible connection to their family, and a chance to break the cycle of incarceration. Whether we set out to do it or not, whether we simply show up and work hard or we go before the Oregon legislature and speak up about how things need to change, we really are changing the world. Or, at the very least, how Oregon defines a Tradeswoman.
For Tradeswomen past, present, and future, never underestimate your impact!
Guest Blog: Cari Ebbert
Some might say the only difference between a teacher and a student is time and experience. I’m realizing it’s so much more than that.
My name is Cari Ebbert and I thought I was over getting lessons about the trades. I’m an IBEW electrician, 13 years in, and thanks to Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. I’m still learning new skills. Even though I didn’t go through their nationally-recognized pre-apprenticeship class, OTI has been with me in a myriad of other ways through my trades career and teaching me valuable lessons along the way.
Early on as an apprentice I was recruited by my union to stand at a table during a career fair and talk about being an electrician and how to get into the IBEW apprenticeship. I got to talk about something I really loved and steer people toward a rewarding career. I really had to break out of my shell to confidently talk to whatever stranger that breezed by. It took me about 3 years attending the Women in Trades Career Fair before I realized that OTI was the driving force behind the annual event. A few years later I was recruited to give seminars at the same Fair about solar energy. That was another experience stretching and building my skills for speaking in front of a large group. It turns out it was a joint idea between a few members of my union and Oregon Tradeswomen. Wow! Another great connection!
Now, I find myself with some free time. An unexpected layoff is both a blessing and a curse in the construction trades. Suddenly you have opportunities to devote lots of time to something, but not necessarily any money spend on it. Fortunately, that’s how volunteers are born, and I’m spending some of my time with the Trades and Career Class students.
OTI is in the process of remodeling part of their office space and I thought I would lend a hand as a volunteer instructor. A couple times during my career, I’ve taken over training of electrical apprentices while one the job. This, however, was a whole new ballgame.
I was tasked with helping a few students frame part of a wall and attach a wooden header to the ceiling. Now, I maybe be able to bend conduit into a pretzel or pull wire left-handed with my eyes closed, but teaching carpentry when it’s not my profession is another thing entirely. The students are teaching me in this case, not necessarily about carpentry (Thank goodness Amy James Neel is around for that) but about patience, and empathy, and clarity. I’ve had to give up my natural desire to JUST DO IT, and instead, I have to focus on the job process, and safety, and efficiency and how to convey those ideas to someone who may have never used a hammer before coming to this class. I’m constantly being challenged to communicate and try to describe the things that my brain and body have been doing for over a decade now.
Fortunately, what I’m lacking in carpentry skills, my students have been making up in commitment, determination and focus. Each one of those impressive women has made great sacrifice to be in the program and you can see it every day in their energy and attention. They show up on time, listen, ask questions, confront and accept failure and have the positive attitude to try it all over again. They know that this class, and a career in the trades, can be a real, tangible opportunity for growth and change. I hope I can continue to appreciate the lessons they are giving me.