Funding will Help Remove Barriers to Family-Wage Trade & Construction Jobs
Today Oregon Tradeswomen, a nonprofit that helps women achieve economic independence, announced $150,000 from Google data centers to support its mission of empowering women through workforce development and career opportunity in the skilled trades. The funding comes as the industry reports a record number of job openings and the fastest rise in wages in decades.
“More women in Oregon can and want to build our state’s future, but we have to remove the barriers that have kept them from these jobs,” said Kelly Kupcak, executive director of Oregon Tradeswomen. “This funding will help us reach more people and offer them training and support services that will get them into these jobs even faster.”
With the support from Google, Oregon Tradeswomen will:
- Expand outreach to potential candidates in additional areas across the state, including the Columbia River Gorge, with focus on women of color and women with lower-incomes.
- Offer a free, eight-week pre-apprenticeship training program resulting in an immediate increase in annual income.
- Provide training and career pipeline support, directing women to apprenticeship programs in fields such as carpentry, construction, electrical and plumbing.
- Secure new tools and equipment for remote training opportunities and including support during training including childcare, transportation and other essential services.
In 2021, 90 percent of those served by Oregon Tradeswomen programs were low-income individuals; 49 percent were people of color, and 18 percent were single parents. The organization has an 87 percent placement rate for participants who often secure well-paying jobs with health benefits and retirement programs.
“With this work, the team at Oregon Tradeswomen is building a more inclusive economy that benefits everyone” said Suzanne Lindsay, regional lead for Workforce Development for Google’s data centers in The Dalles. “Careers in construction offer workers a path to family-wage jobs that are critical for building a new economy and building better communities across the region.”
These funds are part of a larger effort to connect more Americans to quality training and jobs. This year, Google is contributing $1.2 million dollars in five states where it operates data centers toward education and pre-apprenticeship training programs for the construction trades.
Google remains focused on supporting workforce and economic development across Oregon including in Wasco County. In 2021, Google provided funding for advanced manufacturing equipment at Columbia Gorge Community College’s new Regional Skills Center. The company is also supporting the City of The Dalles, the Wasco County Economic Development Commission, Port of The Dalles, the Gorge Tech Alliance and others to create a comprehensive regional economic development plan.
Google opened its very first U.S. data center in The Dalles in 2006 and also operates an office in downtown Portland. Since 2006, the company has given more than $2 million in community grants to organizations in Wasco County. Since 2009, Google.org, Google’s philanthropy team, has provided more than $14 million to nonprofits and organizations across Oregon.
