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Salem, OR – The Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) is pleased to announce that the Request for Applications (RFA) is now open for Future Ready Oregon’s Workforce Ready Grants for Innovation in Workforce Programs. This funding opportunity, which promises to be the largest Future Ready Oregon investment to date, will advance innovative and collaborative workforce development programming and partnerships that center the needs of Oregon’s historically underserved communities. Up to $35 million may be awarded to community-based organizations and workforce service providers to develop education and training programs that connect individuals to the training and resources they need for good-paying jobs and meaningful careers. Investments will advance opportunities to recruit and retain a diverse workforce in key sectors of Oregon’s economy—healthcare, manufacturing, and technology.
For more information and application instructions, view the Request for Applications (RFA) materials on the HECC Grant and Contracting Opportunities webpage, including materials in Spanish.
Successful applications will demonstrate how the investment will:
- Create or expand career-connected credential and training opportunities that promote equitable recruitment, retention, and career advancement for occupations in healthcare, manufacturing, or technology;
- Strengthen collaborative partnerships that actively engage employers, education and training providers, and community-based organizations; and
- Support and engage priority populations* by providing jobseekers with benefits, including stipends for earn-and-learn experiences, tuition and fee assistance, job readiness supplies, and wraparound services.
Prospective applicants are invited to attend Informational Webinars and engage the services of Technical Assistance Providers. (See the HECC Grant and Contracting Opportunities webpage for more information and scheduling.)
The State of Oregon has committed to supporting the education and training needs of Oregonians through the establishment of Future Ready Oregon, also known as Senate Bill 1545 (2022). Future Ready Oregon is a comprehensive $200 million package of investments that supports Oregonians with the education, training, and resources needed to access good-paying jobs and meaningful careers. This historic investment promotes equitable education and employment opportunities by prioritizing communities of color and other historically underserved and marginalized communities. Workforce Ready Grants are the largest component of the Future Ready Oregon investment. Grant funding will be available on a phased or rolling basis through 2024. In 2022, HECC awarded the first round of Workforce Ready Grants, a $10 million investment that has expanded both the partners that comprise Oregon’s workforce system and their organizational capacity to provide workforce services. A full list of grant-funded activities and project descriptions can be found here.
Jennifer Purcell, director of Future Ready Oregon at the HECC, says: “Workforce Ready Grants represent an exciting opportunity to advance new and innovative approaches to workforce education and training. We look forward to expanding the collaborative partnerships that are essential to engaging and preparing our workforce for a future of increasingly complex work. These Future Ready Oregon investments will equip a diverse workforce with the skills and credentials needed to connect to meaningful careers in key sectors of Oregon’s economy.”
To learn more about HECC’s implementation of Future Ready Oregon, visit the Future Ready Oregon webpage. To receive updates on Future Ready Oregon, subscribe to our mailing list.
*Priority populations to be served by these investments, as defined by the legislation, include: 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.
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