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State Opens Future Ready Oregon Funding Opportunity: Workforce Ready Grants
Applications for the First Round of Grants to Build Capacity for Workforce Programs are Due by August 13, 2022
Salem, OR –The Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) is pleased to announce that the application is now open for the Future Ready Oregon Workforce Ready Grants, Round One: Capacity Building grants. A total of up to $9.8 million will be distributed through this first round of grants. Nonprofit community-based organizations as well as nonprofit and public workforce service providers are eligible to apply. These grants are focused on increasing capacity to offer workforce training, direct financial supports, and/or wraparound services to job-seekers from priority populations* pursuing careers in several high demand fields. For more information on this grant opportunity and how to apply:
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View the Requests for Applications (RFA) materials on the: HECC Grant and Contracting Opportunities webpage, including materials in Spanish.
- After reviewing the materials, attend one of three optional Information Sessions currently scheduled for: July 6, July 13, and July 20, 2022
The State of Oregon has committed to supporting the educational and training needs of Oregonians through the establishment of Future Ready Oregon, also known as SB 1545 (2022). Future Ready Oregon is a comprehensive $200M investment package that supports the education and training Oregonians need for family-wage careers, prioritizing Oregonians of color and other key priority communities.* Future Ready Oregon originated in the Racial Justice Council’s Workforce Workgroup, and the package was led by Governor Brown and championed by many partners before the Oregon Legislature’s approval in the 2022 Legislative Session. This historic package invests in existing successful programs and in innovative equity-focused solutions to bolster recruitment, retention, and career advancement opportunities for priority populations, including: communities of color, women, low-income communities, rural and frontier communities, veterans, incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, persons with disabilities, members of Oregon’s nine federally recognized tribes, individuals who disproportionately experience discrimination in employment on the basis of age, and individuals who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Workforce Ready Grants are one of numerous components of the Future Ready Oregon investment package described here, six of which are administered by the HECC. In total, $95 million is invested in the Workforce Ready Grant component. The first round of Workforce Ready Grants will support administration of workforce programs for job-seekers pursuing careers in the health care, manufacturing and technology industry sectors, supporting capacity for programs that prioritize equitable program participation by individuals from priority populations.
Ben Cannon, Executive Director of the HECC says, “We strongly encourage Oregon community-based, culturally-specific organizations and other providers who might not have previously considered pursuing state grants for workforce initiatives to consider this great opportunity. Future Ready Oregon advances one of the top priorities of the Racial Justice Council’s Workforce Workgroup: we must not only do more for Oregonians, but also do things differently. That means investing differently, encouraging innovation, and broadening our partners.”
This first round of grants is also intended to broaden the type, number, and capacity of organizations that comprise Oregon’s workforce system. By expanding representation in the workforce system, HECC hopes to increase the availability and usage of culturally and linguistically appropriate workforce services. Round One grants will fund organizational investments that build capacity for the workforce programs described by this initiative, which could include hiring, consulting, planning, developing, purchasing equipment, and more. HECC has worked to create a low-barrier grantmaking process by using a web-based application, posting application materials in Spanish, hiring Technical Assistance Contractors for potential applicants, and hosting information sessions.
To learn more about HECC’s Future Ready Oregon efforts visit the HECC Future Ready Oregon webpage here: Strategy & Collaboration - Future Ready Oregon. To receive continuing updates on Future Ready Oregon subscribe to our mailing list here: Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission email updates.
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