The Women in Trades Career Fair is organized by Oregon Tradeswomen each year as a way to provide hands-on experience and introduce skilled trades to young women and adults seeking careers within the trades.  An often under-represented career path for women, the career fair seeks to educate women on high-skill careers in construction, manufacturing, and more. The fair has been hosted by Oregon Tradeswomen for over 25 years and includes activities such as operating equipment, learning how to fix a broken water line, climbing utility poles, wiring circuits and more.  As well, the event allows women to connect with training and employment opportunities, that they may otherwise have not considered or known about.

This two-day career fair seeks to educate and inspire the future of the construction workforce by creating an interactive space for women and girls to learn about the wide range of job opportunities within the industry.  The first day, focused on young women middle to high school ages, included more than 40 interactive workshops, activities, and exhibits.  Our Mortenson team members held an exhibit, where students were welcomed to play a game of “Guess Who?”  The activity began with our team members providing job descriptions of various roles within construction, connected to Mortenson team members who currently work within those roles.  After learning about different job titles, each student had the opportunity to ask one question to narrow down the various Mortenson positions.

The second day of the fair was directed at adult women and allowed them to learn more about potential employers, as well as a way to connect directly with women currently working within the trades.  Mortenson hosted a table and spoke with attendees about considering career pathways in the skilled trades within the construction industry.

Text credit to Oregon Tradeswomen.