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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.