Barbara Lee Congratulates Oakland Org. for Winning Dept. of Labor Award
(Washington, DC) – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) congratulated the Oakland Private Industry Council (PIC) Cypress Mandela/Women in Skilled Trades (WIST) program for their selection as the winner of the Department of Labor’s 2005 Exemplary Public Interest Contribution Award.
“On behalf of California’s 9th U.S. Congressional District, I salute you for your ongoing work to train and place women in jobs throughout the employment spectrum, particularly those traditionally thought of as reserved exclusively for men,” said Lee. “Cypress Mandela/WIST has assisted countless individuals and families as they work toward economic security and an improved quality of life, and therefore has contributed enormously to the betterment of our community.”
Managed by the Oakland Private Industry Council, the Cypress Mandela/WIST Training Center offers a 16-week pre-apprenticeship program for Bay Area men and women over 18 years old. Training is both hands on and in the classroom and prepares students for skilled trades jobs relevant to today's construction industry.
The Cypress Mandela Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program was initiated in 1993 to provide local residents with training and employment opportunities in repairing damaged freeways (resulting from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake). The WIST Program began in 1988 as a means of preparing women to enter the male-dominated construction industry. Today, the two programs work together to train men and women to enter the skilled trades and other occupations with employers across the San Francisco Bay Area.
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