Celebrating National Apprenticeship Week

Construction Impact Alert:
During two weekends - one in November and another in December, the Abernethy Bridge will have temporary lane reductions, along with selected on- and off-ramp closures with detours. The bridge will remain open, but delays are likely. Please sign up for email and text message alerts about construction-related impacts.   

November 13-19 is National Apprenticeship Week, and this edition focuses on the skilled apprentices who play a pivotal role in the I-205 Abernethy Bridge Project. 

Apprenticeships are a method of training the next generation of workers and are a vital strategy to meet the project’s goal of training a skilled, diverse workforce available to support future construction projects statewide. The project’s apprenticeship program provides opportunities for people from all backgrounds to gain invaluable on-the-job training. 

On the I-205 Abernethy Bridge Project, any contractor with a budget over $100,000 must use apprentices for 20% of their work. As ODOT’s most significant construction undertaking in over 45 years, the project must leverage its ability to serve as an employee development pipeline to build a skilled workforce. Individual contractors hire, supervise, and pay their apprentices, while the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries manages the overall program. On the I-205 Abernethy Bridge Project, 25-30 project contractors are participating in the program. We’d like to introduce three participants.

Jake Breeden is a journeyman pile driver who believes apprenticeships help teach the value of hard work and open doors for future employment. On the Abernethy Bridge project, Jake likes working on the Willamette River and believes optimism, a willingness to learn, and a positive attitude are keys to success in this industry. 

Zahnika Olsen is a welding apprentice who is using the program to enhance her future employment prospects while simultaneously improving her financial security. Zahnika’s apprenticeship enables her to have a steady income and build savings while avoiding student debt. She wants to maintain an emergency fund and is learning a skill that positions her for future, stable employment.

Kyle Wilson is also a pile driver, and he appreciates how apprenticeships gradually ease people into jobs so they can learn and build their confidence over time. He loves the exciting pace of construction and believes apprenticeships contribute to workplace safety because people learn how to perform tasks correctly. Kyle agrees that apprenticeships are effective in developing the next generation of employees. 

ODOT is proud of the work Zahnika, Jake, Kyle, and their peers are doing on what will be the first earthquake ready interstate bridge across the Willamette River in the Portland area. We could not do this work without your talent, dedication, and enthusiasm. To see how the project is performing relative to its diversity and workforce goals, including apprenticeships, please see the Diversity and Workforce dashboard on the project website.    

As Twauna Hennesse of the Southwest Mountain States Regional Council of Carpenters says regarding apprenticeships, “Success means offering a career path for members to build generational wealth, retire with dignity, and enjoy stable monthly retirement income through our pension plan.” We agree this is an effective way to measure success, along with ensuring large infrastructure projects like the I-205 Abernethy Bridge Project help grow employees while contributing to economic development, mobility and environmental stewardship. 

Thank you to our apprentices, mentors, and all the skilled employees who are making continual progress on this important project. To learn about apprenticeship opportunities on the I-205 Abernethy Bridge Project and other locations statewide, please visit the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries website.  

For real-time updates and alerts, please sign up for text and email alerts to receive timely information to help plan your travel schedules effectively. For more updates on the I-205 Abernethy Bridge Project, follow ODOT's Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.