Oregon Tradeswomen, the nonprofit that supports women entering building trades apprenticeship programs, received $150,000 in grant funding from Google data centers.
Portland-based Oregon Tradeswomen will use the money to expand outreach to potential candidates for its apprenticeship placement programs, and to offer candidates a free eight-week pre-apprenticeship program.
Oregon Tradeswomen places 79% of its graduates into registered union apprenticeships in the building construction trades, so the funding will likely support local union programs.
The funding is part of $1.2 million Google is contributing toward construction trades education and apprenticeships in five states where it operates data centers. In 2006, Google opened its first U.S. data center in The Dalles.
