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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (March 16, 2012)
At Oregon Tradeswomen Inc. office Dept. of Labor launches ‘green jobs guide for women’ in Portland The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Women’s Bureau chose Port- land and Oregon Tradeswomen Inc., (OTI) to launch a national campaign to help women pursue careers in the emerging green sectors. Portland was chosen because of its commitment to environmental protec- tion and a more sustainable future, and OTI was selected because of its suc- cess promoting women in nontradi- tional trades and green jobs, said Betty Lock, regional administrator, DOL Women’s Bureau, Region 10. The Women’s Bureau has devel- oped a resource — “Why Green is Your Color: A Woman’s Guide to a Sustainable Career” — to provide an overview of the types of green jobs that are available and the skills needed to get them. The guide shows how to identify training opportunities, gives suggestions about how to pay for train- ing, and describes how to start green businesses. It also points out common barriers to career advancement and of- fers tips to overcoming them, and showcases the success stories of women who have already joined the green economy. One of the success stories high- MARCH 16, 2012 Connie Ashbrook (left), director of Oregon Tradeswomen Inc., joins Betty Lock of the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau at a press conference Feb. 28 in Portland to launch a new guide for women to enter green jobs. lighted in the guide is that of Tara Webb, an apprentice electrician and member of Portland-based Interna- tional Brotherhood of Electrical Work- ers Local 48. Webb has worked on windmill towers and already has a con- siderable amount of installation work experience in the renewable energy in- dustry. DOL defines “green economy” ac- tivity related to reducing the use of fos- sil fuels, decreasing pollution and NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS greenhouse gas emissions, increasing the efficiency of energy usage, recy- cling materials, and developing and adopting renewable sources of energy. Jobs in these occupations, which DOL says remain virtually untapped by women, require different kinds of training and work experience. In some cases, women may be certified for an occupation by taking a single course or exam, and/or on-the-job training may be available through an employer, ap- prenticeship, or internship. In other cases, the path to a green occupation may require an associate degree, bach- elor’s degree, or more. At a press conference Feb. 29 at OTI’s office in Northeast Portland, Lock was joined by Anne Wetmore, Washington State director, DOL, Of- fice of Apprenticeship; Connie Ash- brook, executive director of OTI; and a half-dozen graduates from OTI’s Trades and Apprenticeship Career Class (including Webb) who now work in unionized nontraditional trades. “We know that women can play a much greater role in reducing our over- all reliance on foreign oil through ca- reers that promote energy efficiencies and renewable energy development,” Lock said. The guide is broken up into browseable sections for whatever stage of the career finding process an indi- vidual is in, from an introduction to green career choices to plotting out a career path. The guide is available in its entirety for free in both PDF and HTML form on the Department of La- bor website at http://www.dol.gov/ wb/Green_Jobs_Guide/. G REEN A REAS OF O PPORTUNITY DOL points out 12 key sectors of the green economy: • Agriculture and forestry • Energy and carbon capture • Energy efficiency • Energy trading • Environmental protection • Governmental/regulatory admin • Green construction • Manufacturing • Recycling and waste reduction • Renewable energy generation • Research, design, and consulting • Transportation PAGE 7
