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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 11, 2012)
PaSe 20_______________ W Çortlanb ©hserüer Cofle^e Spotlight special edition ___________ AprillL2OI2 Women Ready for Green Jobs c o n t i n u e d f r o m page 13 gear, rain wear, boots, tools, and other equipment. Ashbrook added these women are also extremely excited to be working in the green industry, which has a strong presence within Or egon. On Feb. 29, OTI hosted a roundtable discussion, where U.S. D epartm ent of Labor officials jo in e d p a rtn e rs in the green econom y and leaders represent ing tradeswom en and workers to discuss the role of women and green jobs. The event also in cluded the launch of the W om en's B ureau’s “Why Green is Your Color: A W om an's Guide to a Sustainable C areer,’’ which is a guide designed to help women find and keep higher paying jobs in the clean energy economy. “The goal of the roundtable was to launch the women’s guide to a sustainable career,” said Ashbrook. “This is a wonderful document that Representatives from Safeway present a $5,000 check to Oregon Tradeswomen to recognize the group’s commitment to the success really helps women learn about green of women in the construction industry, during a ceremony last Wednesday at the Safeway outlet on Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. occupations, find training and learn Boulevard. how to succeed in green jobs.” Within the lengthy packet, there is a wealth of information, including ways to deal with child care chal lenges to planning and tracking your job search with interactive tools. “And because we are above aver age here, the packet is even more applicable to Portlanders,” she said. In a d d itio n to O regon Tradeswom en’s use of the new packet, the organization also devel oped an eight hour curriculum, which was a broad overview to help women understand what was available in employment and to create connec tions to employers. But there are several other em ployment opportunities the women are prepared to enter once they com plete their training, including iron workers to build solar towers and retro fitting buildings. “Heating ventilation and air con ditioning are also critical for the future and making sure energy is managed in a way that doesn’t use as much,” she said. “Electricians help install wind turbines and solar panels, and plumbers are important > Green jobs are very important to decrease our carbon footprint, but it also brings new jobs into the region. - Connie Ashbrook, Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. Executive Director ' Dr. Billy R. Flowers (above center) and his skilled staff are ready to help those in need. THE SPiNA-.CCa.UMN An ongoing series of questions and answers about Americas natural healing profession Part 32, Associated Pain : Is my leg pain related to my recent back injury? AQ : Sharp pain radiating from you back down one leg can be a result of a pinched nerve in the spine. Herniated discs and bone spurs are two of the most pinched nerve in the spine. Disc in the spine function like shock ab sorbers; and they can become damaged from an injury or normal use. Your leg pain is likely related to a problem in your lum bar spine, although it is hard to pinpoint exactly w hat triggered your pain. You might have had a pre-existing condition m ade worse by a recent injury. The good new» is this type t of pain often resolves on its own or with chiropractic treatm ent. If the pain lasts longer than a few weeks, or if you have noticeable w eakness in your leg or foot, talk to a doctor about getting an MRI. the green industry. “Then we helped them connect to those employers,” she said. A ccording to A shbrook, the green jo b s industry, especially weatherization technicians, was the m ost successful placem ent for women after they graduated the program. “It is a brand new industry in need of workers,” she said. “Green jobs are very important to decrease our carbon footprint, but it also brings new jobs into the region, and we are desperate for new jobs here in Oregon with our still rela tively high unemployment rate,” said Ashbrook. She said this year, the organiza tion worked with Clean Energy Works Oregon, a nonprofit that is working to weatherize over 5,000 homes throughout the state, to de velop standards for training and to create grey water systems that keep water from being wasted un necessarily.” Women are interested in the fight to stop global warming and reduce our carbon footprint, so if they can do that and earn money at the same time, that is very exciting to them, she said. Ashbrook said the non-profit will provide more classes this year. She encourages anyone interested to call or visit their website for more information, or sign up to attend an orientation. My hope for the future is lots of jobs for everybody who is looking for one,” she said. “Especially lots of green jobs for the women we work with.” For more information about Or egon T radesw om en, Inc., visit tradeswomen.net.
