(PORTLAND, OR) – Bonneville Power Administration employees
will participate in the Oregon Tradeswomen’s 2018 Career Fair on May 18 and 19
at National Electrical Contractors Association and International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers training center. BPA representatives will share their
experiences and demonstrate some of the skills they use to keep hydropower
flowing in the Northwest.
The Oregon Tradeswomen’s Career Fair features workshops and
exhibits staffed by volunteers who are successful in their careers and are
committed to encouraging women and young girls to explore opportunities in
non-traditional fields.
“The career fair is an opportunity for BPA to reach out to
women and girls who are interested in vocations vital to the utility industry,”
said Janet Herrin, BPA’s chief operating officer. “We strive to promote a
diverse, inclusive work environment, and this event gives us the chance to
reach out to our future workforce and promote BPA and the Department of Energy
as employers of choice.”
Cristi Sawtell has represented BPA at the annual career fair
for more than a decade. She says finding success in non-traditional careers
takes a tremendous amount of courage, strength and initiative. She believes
events such as the Oregon Tradeswomen’s Career Fair are critical to encouraging
girls and women to think about their futures in a new way.
“Every year I see participants get involved in activities
and I see a spark when they realize these are exciting careers that are within
their reach,” said Sawtell, who was BPA’s first female lineworker and is
currently a transmission field compliance specialist. “This career fair
provides a good variety of hands-on activities, the majority of them being led
by women.”
The event takes place at the NECA-IBEW Electrical Training
Center at 16021 NE Airport Way, Portland, Oregon. Sawtell and other BPA
tradeswomen will be speaking to students attending with their schools on May
18, and to the public May 19 at the Careers for Women Day. They’ll be
discussing various opportunities in the trades and demonstrating skills such as
surveying and exothermic welding, a process used by BPA’s high voltage
electricians and lineworkers.
Bonneville Power Administration is a sponsor of the Oregon
Tradeswomen’s 2018 Career Fair. Learn more about the event at www.tradeswomen.net/fair/ or
contact Mary Ann Naylor of Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. at 503-335-8200, extension
26, or 503-819-9201.
