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Thanks in part to a $20,000 grant from the Spirit Mountain Community Fund, 15 young women will begin construction jobs next week.

Oregon Tradeswomen Inc. is coordinating the third annual , a seven-week program that provides paid, on-the-job training to young women. The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, through its Community Fund, have supported OTI’s educational efforts since 2001.

The all-female crew, age 17 to 24, will build a split-rail fence at Fort Vancouver in Washington, a fence at North by Northeast Community Health Center on Northeast Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard and a compost bin for a community garden on Northeast Emerson Street.

鈥淔or many of these girls, this will be their first paid work experience,鈥� said Connie Ashbrook, OTI executive director. 鈥淭hey’ll be fully accountable for actually earning a paycheck and putting in a day’s work. And they’ll receive guidance if their work ethic is not what it should be in a very fun and supportive learning environment.鈥�

The outcome, Ashbrook hopes, will be future careers in construction. One participant from last year’s program is now in OTI’s pre-apprenticeship program for adult women training to be a carpenter.

鈥淪he’s going to be a really dynamite worker for someone,鈥� Ashbrook said.