OTI In the News in November

VanessaSerious_98A6362

Wow! Oregon Tradeswomen was in the news multiple times earlier in November! We made a lot of noise about the first ever National Women in Apprenticeship Day, and we invited members of the media to visit our Trades and Apprenticeship Career Class during their hands on learning days when they were hard at work deconstructing and demolishing the interior of the former ‘Sugar Shack’. This work opportunity was made possible through our partnership with Living Cully –  an innovative collaboration between non-profit organizations in the Cully Neighborhood in NE Portland: Verde, Hacienda CDC and NAYA (Native American Youth and Family Center).

Women in Apprenticeship Day

Oregonian
Daily Joural of Commerce
NW Labor Press

Deconstruction of Sugar Shack

Daily Journal of Commerce
KATU
KGW
Portland Business Journal
PQ Monthly

 

Partner Spotlight: Sheet Metal Institute

Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. is most grateful for the support of community and industry in our work in promoting the success for women in the trades through education, leadership and mentorship.  We do this, in large part, working with our partners in a variety ways, including the coordination of field trips for our Trades and Apprenticeship Career Class participants.

TAC class is a free, 7-week, pre-apprenticeship training class that helps women prepare for a high skill, high wage career in construction. Over the course of the session, women visit several sites like the Sheet Metal Institute.

Kevin in classroom

The center is a registered non-profit joint labor-management training trust between the Sheet Metal Workers Local Union #16 and Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association – Columbia Chapter. It offers approved training programs in three occupations including Sheet Metal Worker, Sheet Metal Worker Service Technician and Residential Sheet Metal Worker.

Kim Neel is a career counselor and job placement specialist for OTI.  She coordinates the field trips and I asked her to share some thoughts about our appreciation for the center and the employees who operate it:

“I always make it a priority to make it to the Sheet Metal Institute, because so often many women do not understand what sheet metal workers do. Kevin does a remarkable job of walking them through the process of understanding the scope of the industry as well as its history. He has a great way of getting our students excited not only about the variety of the work, but also the mathematical and mental challenges it brings. They are naturally drawn to the industry because of his organized delivery.

Kevn SMI  Kevin Roth – Training Coordinator

At the beginning of class, we ask all the students what trade they are interested in. Few students ever say Sheet Metal at the start of class. When they graduate we almost always have women who enthusiastically say sheet metal after visiting the training center. The training staff is VERY patient and are great at explaining how and why they are doing what they are doing when they give them a hands on task. The training center also invests in our students and gives them a hands on experience which is invaluable. The students often tell me….”It was when I got my hands on the tools that I fell in love with the trade.” I love that they invest the time and resources into our students. It really shows their commitment to diversify their trade and I respect that a lot.”

— Kim Neel, Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc.

Thanks to the entire staff of Sheet Metal Institute for their years of support as a field trip host but also for their long standing support of our annual Women in Trades Career Fair.  If you want to learn more about their programs, see their web site for complete details.

— Dennise M. Kowalczyk, Development Director

Business Membership Spotlight: Hamilton Construction

hamilton constr

Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. welcomes the support of the business community to help us fulfill our mission to engage more women and girls in the trades.

Hamilton Construction is one of our partners in this program and we thank them for their contribution to OTI.

Hamilton Construction has been meeting clients needs since 1939. It has grown from a small firm building concrete roads and irrigation systems in Oregon, to a corporation performing over $100 Million annually in concrete and steel construction throughout the Western states. During this time, Hamilton has met the demanding needs of both public agencies and private firms, including Oregon, Washington State, California, Colorado and Alaska DOTs, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Union Pacific Railroad, Tri-Met, Weyerhaeuser, Georgia Pacific and Portland General Electric to name a few. They have worked with many of our clients for over 40 years.

OTI thanks the staff of Hamilton Construction for their support of our programming as a business membership program participant!

If you want to learn more about our business membership program, please send an email to dennise@tradeswomen.net for details on how you can be involved.

2015 Willamette Week Give!Guide

WWGG2015RotatorOTIwebsite
Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. is honored to be part of the 2015 Willamette Give!Guide!  The end of year campaign runs November 4th through midnight December 31st.

We are thrilled to have THREE business partners who are matching donations up to $7,500!  Thanks so much to Atomic Direct, Enhabit (formerly Clean Energy Works) and Madden Industrial for making this generous pledge of support to help us double the impact of your donation to OTI.

Our business partners have also generously donated cool gifts as special thank you incentives for donors on select days:  Cup Cozies, towels, a home energy audit, and court side seats to a Blazer game!  These are all in addition to the coupons you receive with a minimum donation as well as the amazing incentives you’re eligible to win when you give a gift on the six Big Give Days! Visit the donate page for a more information about the campaign.

How can you participate?

  1. Donate! You can donate as little as $10 and it helps out OTI.  We have three business partners matching up to $7,500 this year!  Here is the link: https://giveguide.org/#oregontradeswomeninc
  2. Share on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn:  Make a post on your social media and encourage your circle of friends to donate. You can also share OTI’s posts on Facebook, retweet on Twitter, and we have an Instagram account (@oregontradeswomen).
  3. Send an email to friends and family! Example:  “I am a big fan and supporter of Oregon Tradeswomen.  The non-profit does a lot of great work for tradeswomen and it is one of the organizations in this year’s Willamette Week Give Guide.  The Willamette Week Give Guide picks non-profits to spotlight in a special publication in order to build awareness and financial support during the end of the year.  OTI has three business partners matching up to $7,500 this year so every donation – whether it is $10 or $100 – is matched until OTI reaches $7,500.  That means, $7,500 donated by folks like us becomes $15,000 because of the match.  It is really easy, too.  Just click on the link below and make your secure donation and tell all your friends, too!  Thank you!!!”Here is the link to donate:
    https://giveguide.org/#oregontradeswomeninc

If you are currently a supporter of Oregon Tradeswomen, thank you so much!  If you are able, please help us meet and exceed the matching funds from our incredible business partners and empower OTI to educate, train, and place even more women into satisfying, living-wage careers in the construction trades.

Thank you!

Special Event

Our executive director, Connie Ashbrook, and a few former board members are coordinating a special fundraising event for Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc.

November 14, 2015

Details: A special screening of the new short film Sista in the Brotherhood portraying the challenges and successes of an African American woman carpenter apprentice. This film was created by former OTI staffers Dawn Jones Redstone and Roberta Hunte.

**Invite Only**

If you would like to make a donation, please click here – thank you!