In the Portland metropolitan area, there is a projected shortage of construction workers in the next decade and a uniform desire among the stakeholders to improve workforce diversity to meet this projected shortfall. Unfortunately, the construction trades remain an industry that is viewed by minorities and women as unlikely to meet the promise of a satisfying career. These potential workers, either do not enter the trades, or wash out in a few years based on this perception. This is true despite recent strong, and yet uncoordinated efforts by various entities to dramatically increase the representation of minorities and women working in the trades. The truth is, diversity workforce strategies to date have not worked.

CAWS is a comprehensive response to this reality.

Who We Are The Construction Apprenticeship & Workforce Solutions, Inc. (CAWS) is a non-profit organization located in Portland, Oregon dedicated to improving the representation of people of color and women in the construction trades. It was devised by the stakeholders, which includes major public and private developers, general contractors, trade unions, apprenticeship training organizations, and community-based organizations, to be a comprehensive, long-term solution to this under-representation issue. As CAWS comes from this broad range of stakeholders, it is supported by the strength of their commitment to this organization’s success.

The Mission of CAWS is to support, inform and advocate for the development of a regional comprehensive system that create a diverse and skilled workforce for the construction industry, increasing the representation of persons of color and females with successful construction trades careers in the Portland metropolitan area.

What We Do CAWS is an umbrella organization that will develop, implement and coordinate a common demand- and supply-side delivery system to diversify the trades. This effort’s demand side is led by the developers and general contractors; the supply side is driven by the training agents and community-based organizations such as Portland YouthBuilders, Irvington Covenant Community Development Corporation, Oregon Tradeswomen, Portland Community College and Evening Trades Apprenticeship Preparation (ETAP). CAWS will develop the capacity of the existing community groups and will also link educational efforts among community college, high school and alternative schools, comprehensively market the construction trades to people of color and women, and help the stakeholders examine the un-examined habits of thinking that may contribute to the negative perception held by minorities and women about the trades. Through a strategic partnership with Worksystems, Inc.(WSI), CAWS is able to leverage its resources with those of the local workforce development system, providing at least a dollar for dollar match.

Increasing diversity in the construction trades requires a commitment from all of us. Please contact us if you or your organization is interested in joining us in that work.