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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 2022)
October 5, 2022 Minority Business Edition Page 5 Help Students with Career Paths C ontinued from P age 3 to the right PCC certificate and degree programs. PCC’s Community Work- force Development Department partners with the Oregon De- partment of Human Services and other community agencies to provide services at these cen- ters like PMWTC. They work closely with college programs, such as PCC Clear Clinic, Ca- reer Pathways and the Outreach and Advocacy Project, to con- nect students to the unique re- sources that will help them nav- igate and be successful in their Isis Harris, owner of 3v3ryday Grind LLC Looking and Feeling Good While Working b y m olly W ashington Isis Harris is a Portland-native, Licensed Journeyman Electri- cian, and the owner of 3v3ryday Grind LLC, a branded, high visi- bility workwear apparel compa- ny. High visibility is crucial for fast-paced activities like construc- tion, flagging, biking, jogging, or warehouse work, to name a few. But this company isn’t just about merchandise. “Another part of the company is just bringing aware- ness to the construction industry, bringing awareness to the oppor- tunity of apprenticeship and shar- ing my story with others so that they know that regardless of what- ever obstacles you come across, you can still make whatever you need to make of your life,” Isis ex- plains.“You don’t have to fit into the status quo. It’s ok to blend out boldly and just be yourself” Isis chose this type of high vis- ibility apparel for a very specific reason. “Because going through my apprenticeship there was not the opportunity to not be highly visible. There was not the oppor- tunity to not be seen on a daily basis regardless of whatever I wore,” she recalls.Isis embraces the fact that as a Black woman, she is a unique person on a work site. “I am going to own it and embrace it and wear it, versus kind of trying to hide from it and blend into, I guess, the majority. It’s ok. It’s ok to be an individ- ual, it’s ok to stand out, to blend out and to be yourself.” 3v3ryday Grind LLC, the cre- ator and organizer of the 3-part Community Pulse Series, aimed to create a family friendly communi- ty engagement experience specifi- cally crafted to expose and educate the Black and Brown communities to specific pathways into construc- tion-based careers. This is accom- plished through hands-on work- shops, speed mentoring, virtual simulation exercises, and direct access to construction industry stakeholders. The intention is to encourage intentional recruitment from these communities and off- set the potential for gun violence by offering prosocial activities to at-risk youth and communities. Isis garnered support from many sponsors as well as funds from the Safer Summer PDX initiative allocated by the Mayor's Office. The next event is to be held Oc- tober 15th, 2022 from 11am-5pm at The Portland Covenant Church located at 4046 NE MLK Jr Blvd, near Shaver St. To get involved, visit ShopEveryDayGrind.com. “We can work on actually keep- ing people in the trades that come from diverse backgrounds and changing the construction culture to one that is more welcoming,” Isis states.“Community is a big part of it. And with that, you have to be a little more visible, you have to kind of put yourself out there in uncomfortable situations which is some of what I’m doing right now. And just embracing the fact that I cannot continue to go to work everyday and not see faces that look like me and know that I’m not doing anything about it.” It is without a doubt that Isis is doing something about it. And then some. academic and career journeys. “Many of the students are nontraditional and come through the doors of our Metro and Willow Creek opportunity centers with multiple barriers to work or school,” Wells said. “My goal is to help remove or minimize as many barriers as I can in my role and through leveraging the valuable inter- nal and external partners who come together to support equi- table success.” Last year, Wells participat- ed in a major college initiative called Yes to Equitable Student Success (YESS) that informed the development of PCC’s 2020-25 Strategic Plan. Wells served as part of a dedicated cohort of 140 staff and faculty who worked to design the new academic and career pathways in a way that keeps students and equity at the center. “That’s meeting people where they are—culturally, mentally, emotionally and trau- ma-informed, so as not to create any additional stress on their lives,” said Wells. “We are giv- ing them the support that they need to gain overall student success, and they feel a true sense of belonging.”
