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• 1. [Article] Building a More Diverse Skilled Workforce in the Highway Trades: Are Oregon’s Current Efforts Working?

  Jobs in the highway construction trades have historically been primarily held by white men and largely remain so today; of those completing apprenticeships in the highway trades in Oregon between 2011 ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Building a More Diverse Skilled Workforce in the Highway Trades: Are Oregon’s Current Efforts Working? Author: Burd-Sharps, Sarah, Lewis, Kristen, Kelly, Maura Year: 2014 Jobs in the highway construction trades have historically been primarily held by white men and largely remain so today; of those completing apprenticeships in the highway trades in Oregon between 2011 and early 2014, 83.4 percent were white men. Building a more diverse skilled workforce and making careers in these trades more accessible and appealing to women and people of color has proven challenging. The state’s Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI), in collaboration with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), in 2010 began a statewide effort—the Highway Construction Workforce Development Program—to find, train, and employ a diverse workforce for highway construction jobs throughout the state. The program provides mentoring and four services designed to help workers overcome commonly identified barriers to participation in the heavy highway trades: financial support for childcare; fuel assistance; support for tools, clothes and other required equipment; and overnight travel expenses for jobs. This paper provides the findings of an assessment of these efforts using data on trends in the Oregon heavy highway workforce from the Oregon Apprenticeship System, a phone survey of current and past highway apprentices conducted in early 2014, and a review of the experiences of others states in this area. Title: Building a More Diverse Skilled Workforce in the Highway Trades: Are Oregon’s Current Efforts Working? Author: Burd-Sharps, Sarah, Lewis, Kristen, Kelly, Maura Year: 2014 Jobs in the highway construction trades have historically been primarily held by white men and largely remain so today; of those completing apprenticeships in the highway trades in Oregon between 2011 and early 2014, 83.4 percent were white men. Building a more diverse skilled workforce and making careers in these trades more accessible and appealing to women and people of color has proven challenging. The state’s Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI), in collaboration with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), in 2010 began a statewide effort—the Highway Construction Workforce Development Program—to find, train, and employ a diverse workforce for highway construction jobs throughout the state. The program provides mentoring and four services designed to help workers overcome commonly identified barriers to participation in the heavy highway trades: financial support for childcare; fuel assistance; support for tools, clothes and other required equipment; and overnight travel expenses for jobs. This paper provides the findings of an assessment of these efforts using data on trends in the Oregon heavy highway workforce from the Oregon Apprenticeship System, a phone survey of current and past highway apprentices conducted in early 2014, and a review of the experiences of others states in this area. Close

• 2. [Article] Evaluation of Pre-Apprenticeship and Retention Services in the Construction Trades in Oregon

  While white men have historically dominated the highway construction trades in Oregon, this trend is changing: of those enrolled in apprenticeships in the highway construction trades in 2005, 81% were ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Evaluation of Pre-Apprenticeship and Retention Services in the Construction Trades in Oregon Author: Wilkinson, Lindsey, Kelly, Maura Year: 2017 While white men have historically dominated the highway construction trades in Oregon, this trend is changing: of those enrolled in apprenticeships in the highway construction trades in 2005, 81% were white men; in 2015, this number was 70% (Figure 1). These changes are due in part to recruitment efforts and training offered by pre-apprenticeship programs, which are designed to help individuals build the necessary skills to meet the minimum entry qualifications to enter a trade or apprenticeship program. Pre-apprenticeships can reach not only women and people of color, but also people without family or friends in the trades, which is a common conduit for employment in this sector. Pre-apprenticeship programs also offer ongoing mentoring and support for graduates, through apprenticeship and beyond. Two such pre-apprenticeship programs in Portland are Oregon Tradeswomen Inc. (OTI), which targets women, and Constructing Hope (CH), which primarily serves people of color and those previously incarcerated, providing a second chance in the workforce. These programs work to diversify the pipeline of potential applicants entering registered apprenticeships in Oregon. Pre-apprenticeships are supported in part by funds from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Bureau of Labor Industries (BOLI) initiative to diversify the skilled highway construction workforce, the Highway Construction Workforce Development Program. This report assesses the effectiveness of pre-apprenticeship programs in 1) preparing preapprentices for entry into the trades or an apprenticeship in the trades; 2) increasing the entry of women and minorities into highway construction trades apprenticeships and 3) increasing the likelihood that women and minority apprentices will complete apprenticeships in the highway construction trades. In order to assess the impact of pre-apprenticeship programs on the skills, perceptions, and career outcomes of women and minorities, PSU researchers designed a longitudinal study of individuals participating in a pre-apprenticeship program through Oregon Tradeswomen Inc. (OTI) or Constructing Hope (CH). PSU also relied on aggregate data from the Oregon Apprenticeship System (OAS) data base to identify OTI or CH graduates entering a registered apprenticeship. This report reflects the findings from three waves of survey data collection (2016-2017) and OAS data from the 2005-2017 cohorts of new apprentices in the state of Oregon. Title: Evaluation of Pre-Apprenticeship and Retention Services in the Construction Trades in Oregon Author: Wilkinson, Lindsey, Kelly, Maura Year: 2017 While white men have historically dominated the highway construction trades in Oregon, this trend is changing: of those enrolled in apprenticeships in the highway construction trades in 2005, 81% were white men; in 2015, this number was 70% (Figure 1). These changes are due in part to recruitment efforts and training offered by pre-apprenticeship programs, which are designed to help individuals build the necessary skills to meet the minimum entry qualifications to enter a trade or apprenticeship program. Pre-apprenticeships can reach not only women and people of color, but also people without family or friends in the trades, which is a common conduit for employment in this sector. Pre-apprenticeship programs also offer ongoing mentoring and support for graduates, through apprenticeship and beyond. Two such pre-apprenticeship programs in Portland are Oregon Tradeswomen Inc. (OTI), which targets women, and Constructing Hope (CH), which primarily serves people of color and those previously incarcerated, providing a second chance in the workforce. These programs work to diversify the pipeline of potential applicants entering registered apprenticeships in Oregon. Pre-apprenticeships are supported in part by funds from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Bureau of Labor Industries (BOLI) initiative to diversify the skilled highway construction workforce, the Highway Construction Workforce Development Program. This report assesses the effectiveness of pre-apprenticeship programs in 1) preparing preapprentices for entry into the trades or an apprenticeship in the trades; 2) increasing the entry of women and minorities into highway construction trades apprenticeships and 3) increasing the likelihood that women and minority apprentices will complete apprenticeships in the highway construction trades. In order to assess the impact of pre-apprenticeship programs on the skills, perceptions, and career outcomes of women and minorities, PSU researchers designed a longitudinal study of individuals participating in a pre-apprenticeship program through Oregon Tradeswomen Inc. (OTI) or Constructing Hope (CH). PSU also relied on aggregate data from the Oregon Apprenticeship System (OAS) data base to identify OTI or CH graduates entering a registered apprenticeship. This report reflects the findings from three waves of survey data collection (2016-2017) and OAS data from the 2005-2017 cohorts of new apprentices in the state of Oregon. Close