(PORTLAND, OREGON) - Oregon's Union Apprenticeships are outpacing their Non-Union counterparts when it comes to diversity and inclusion, says a recent study.

“Diversity, in leadership and in the Rank-and-File, makes us richer both in talent and in community," said Bridget Quinn, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 48's Workforce Development Coordinator in Portland, Oregon. "Union programs encompass brother and sisterhood, a real looking-out for others.  Non-Union programs lack that connection - They're more business-focused than people-focused."

The study, conducted by Larissa Petrucci through the University of Oregon's Labor Education and Research Center, found Union Apprenticeship Programs are more diverse than their Non-Union counterparts and have higher success rates all around, especially for Women and People of Color.

In particular, Petrucci found Women and People of Color are significantly more likely to complete their programs when it's a Union Apprenticeship as compared to a Non-Union one - and they’re also more than twice as likely to enter a high-wage Trade if they go through a Union Apprenticeship.

Construction is the third-fastest-growing industry in Oregon and the State's Employment Department is predicting 11,900 new construction jobs over the next decade, all while 17% of the workforce nears retirement, reported the Portland Business Journal.

As such, recruitment to the Trades is becoming increasingly vital.

"In order for the Trades to continue to grow, we have to look outside of the typical groups that have been sought after to produce our workflow," said IBEW Local 48 Daytime Instructor and Outreach Coordinator Kennitha Wade.

Among Petrucci's findings is that more Women and People of Color have enrolled in Apprenticeship Programs over the last decade.

In 2020, 11% of all newly enrolled Apprentices were women, a 57% increase from 2011, and 31% of newly enrolled Apprentices were People of Color, a 55% increase from the same time period.

And most of these groups were in Union programs.

In Trades represented by both Union and Non-Union Programs, Unions graduated a significantly higher proportion of Apprentices, boasting a graduation rate of 58% compared to 36% for the non-union alternative.

One thing IBEW Local 48 and other Union Apprenticeships do to help historically underrepresented groups is to offer support that can take a variety of forms, from mentoring to interview preparation, and this extra attention can often be the difference between completing a program and not, Wade said.

"This Trade can be brutal and when you feel like you do not belong on a job site, it's easy to believe what people tell you and leave.  It's easy to want to escape the negative environment that sometimes exists on construction sites," Wade said. "With the Union, there are support groups and spaces made available for people to talk to others they can identify with, where they can share experiences and get advice."

To Continue Reading This Apprenticeship And Training Labor News Story, Go To: www.ibew.org/media-center/Articles/22Daily/2211/221115_Oregon