Epa Awards Oregon Tradeswomen $198,332 Grant

Portland, Oregon—January 2, 2007—Oregon Tradeswomen Inc. (OTI) has received a $198,332 job training brownfield grant award from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The grant will allow OTI to train 140 students in 12 training cycles, place at least 91 students in environmental jobs, and track graduates for two years. Participants will complete 140 hours of course work, including OHSA safety, hazardous waste worker, and confined space entry training. Participants will also attend OTI’s state-certified Trades and Apprenticeship Career (TAC) program, a pre-apprenticeship program for women exploring careers in the building trades. OTI will recruit low-income, minority, unemployed, or underemployed students, with a focus on women from communities within the greater Portland and Multnomah County areas.

The EPA’s Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic development to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. More than $22 million has been awarded to training organizations throughout the United States since the brownfields program inception in 1998. “This grant, along with our ongoing generous support from other governmental organizations and members of the construction industry, will mean that we can continue to bring more women out of poverty and prepare them for a rewarding career in construction, including brownfield redevelopment and environmental remediation” said Connie Ashbrook, Executive Director.

Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. (OTI), a membership-driven nonprofit organization, is dedicated to promoting success for women in the trades through education, leadership and mentorship. For more information about OTI please call 503-335-8200 x21 or visit www.tradeswomen.net.

Press Contact:
Terri Wiley
503-335-8200 x24
terri@tradeswomen.net