Archive for June 2015
Help Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. GROW!
Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. has been selected as a semi-finalist for a grant from Advantis Credit Union, and we need your help!
Advantis has established GROW to provide nonprofits with funding for local projects that help strengthen our communities. Several grants of up to $10,000 each will be awarded.
OTI is in the running to receive support for tools, work gear, and other items for a future Trades & Apprenticeship Career Class.
TAC Student – Cindy – hones her skill on a chopsaw
Can you please help us supply these “Ready to Work” needs for our students by voting for OTI on the Advantis Credit Union website? You can also help by asking family and friends to join in on the daily vote! Voting ends on July 17th at 5pm, and you can vote once per day.
Amanda, Hoffman Construction laborer and her daughter at OTI’s 2015 career fair
Thank you for your help, and thank you Advantis Credit Union for choosing OTI as a semi-finalist for the GROW award!
Congratulations June 11 TACC Graduates!
Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. is so proud of our most recent group of graduates from our Trades and Apprenticeship Career Class!
Name of Graduate and Trade Goal:
Kristin “Kris” Albers – Utility Worker
Carina Beneventi – Sign Maker/Erector
Jennifer “Jenn” Boyd – Utility Worker
Shirley A. “Alexsis” – Cummings Carpenter
Kerri Danay – Sheet Metal Worker
LaNel Fritz – Sheet Metal Worker
Emma Gray – Sheet Metal Worker
Katherine “Katy” Hardy-Ward – Sheet Metal Worker
Jennifer Kinder – Electrician
Vanessa Konopasek – Ironworker
Sabrina Langfitt – Sheet Metal Worker
Olivia McKavery – Cement Mason
Michelle Minor – Sheet Metal Worker
Hael G. Morales Torres – Carpenter
Kristine T. Nguyen – Plumber
Rosalia Ramirez – Carpenter
Jaclyn “Jac” Rickard – Welder
Eliani Rodriguez – Carpenter
Jessica Ross – Ironworker
Aubrion Sterrett – Sheet Metal Worker
Makenzie Talbot – Electrician
Shondra S. Washington – Tree Trimmer/Power Line Clearance
Erin West – Plumber
Aisha Winters – Sheet Metal Worker
Funding for our program is provided by:
Bank of America, The Boeing Company, Construction Apprenticeship & Workforce Solutions, Inc. (CAWS), the Environmental Protection Agency, H.W. Irwin and D.C.H. Irwin Foundation, Hoover Family Foundation, Kaiser Permanente Community Fund at the Northwest Health Foundation, Multnomah Bar Foundation Multnomah County, Oregon Department of Transportation, Pacific Power Foundation, Penney Family Fund, a member of The Common Counsel Foundation, the Portland Development Commission’s Economic Opportunity Program, Stimson-Miller Foundation, The TJX Foundation, U.S. Bank, The Portland Water Bureau and Hoffman Construction through the Community Benefit Agreement, Wells Fargo, Women’s Bureau–U.S. Department of Labor, Women’s Foundation of Oregon, Worksystems, Inc., industry donations, and individual tradeswomen and supporters.
Thank you for your investments in OTI and our work!
OTI Selected for Legacy Award
We are thrilled to share that OTI is one of the recipients of a Legacy Award of $25,000 from the Women’s Foundation of Oregon!
The Women’s Foundation of Oregon has a vision for Oregon where every woman and girl can thrive. This vision resonates significantly with the work and mission of OTI, which is dedicated to promoting the success for women in the trades through education, leadership, and mentorship.
The $25,000 award will greatly expand the reach of our information and messages, revealing the information about high-wage trades careers that is generally hidden or inaccessible to women, as well as enable us to better retrieve data that will show the impact of our work. This includes improving our digital communications to reach more women; produce videos sharing the opportunities to become involved with OTI; connect with girls and women of color and in rural communities to engage them in our programs; hire a part-time outreach coordinator; and improve our infrastructure to better improve our services for girls and women
Terri, Connie & Dennise at the Women’s Foundation of Oregon celebration event
Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. thanks the membership of the Women’s Foundation of Oregon for this generous gift to help us do more in empowering women and girls in the trades!
Multnomah Bar Foundation Awards Grant to OTI
Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. (OTI) received a $4,000 grant from the Multnomah Bar Foundation to support components of OTI’s TOOLS program (Tradeswomen Organized for Outreach, Leadership & Support) – a program aspiring to advance tradeswomen’s understanding of civic responsibility, to improve tradeswomen’s understanding of the legislative process, and build their leadership capacity overall. OTI’s TOOLS program provides voter registration, voter education, civic engagement, and advocacy and legislative work, so that tradeswomen are included in the civic and legislative process on issues that affect working class tradeswomen.
Today, OTI’s current class of pre-apprenticeship students are participating in OTI’s annual Construction Equity Day event where students visit the State Capitol Building to meet with legislators, observe the legislative session, and learn more about how new laws are enacted in our state.
“We are immensely thankful to Multnomah Bar Foundation for their investment in our work with tradeswomen,” said Tiffany Thompson, Advocacy Program Manager for OTI. “These funds will help educate tradeswomen about the direct impact civic engagement can have on OTI’s work and on the Construction Industry at large. We will also be able to instill a more relevant understanding of the role of the legislative process, and help tradeswomen feel competent and knowledgeable enough to be meaningfully engaged in government, law, leadership, and elections,” Thompson added.
Founded in 2005, the Multnomah Bar Foundation (MBF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The MBF has established two dedicated funds: the Civic Education Fund (formerly the MBA 100th Anniversary Community Gift Fund) and Multnomah CourtCare. For more information about the MBF visit their website.
Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. thanks the Multnomah Bar Foundation for its generous support of our programming!