EncodeXP trains Oregon students ages 14-24 in emerging metaverse technologies. In 2022, the organization received a Future Ready Oregon Workforce Ready Capacity Building Grant to integrate career pathway mapping and student mentorship, to design and build a tech aptitude assessment, and to increase outreach and support for students from priority populations and other young people who may not otherwise see themselves in the tech field.

This April, EncodeXP staff networked with some 3,000 high school juniors and seniors and 200 adult job seekers at the 10th annual Careers in Gear job fair in Jackson County. The EncodeXP team considers this networking opportunity one of their key grant-funded successes: “The booth was anticipated to be popular, given the alignment our training would likely have with the interests of youth in gaming and interactive digital media. However, the engagement exceeded our wildest dreams. We met hundreds of students and received 62 applications for just 10 spaces in our summer cohort. Another surprise was the invitations to collaborate with many educational institutions and community service organizations. EncodeXP is now formalizing partnerships to build training pathways with several high schools and charter schools, our community college and regional university, youth-serving community organizations, other coding programs, and local tech businesses, to name a few.”

Several summer cohorts begin June 23rd. Learn more about EncodeXP and its joint mission of preparing students for tech jobs and advancing a more inclusive, accessible tech industry at https://encodexp.org/.

Pictured: Devyn Fae represents EncodeXP at the organization’s 2023 Careers in Gear booth.

This May, HECC staff members Staci Calkins and Jennifer Poore kicked off a listening tour of Oregon WorkSource Centers and local workforce development boards, along with community partners and other state agencies. In the first of a series of road trips that will continue throughout 2023, they visited Hood River, The Dalles, Umatilla, and LaGrande to meet with representatives of East Cascades Works, Business Oregon, the Eastern Oregon Workforce Board, WorkSource Oregon’s Columbia Gorge Community College office, and the Bureau of Labor & Industries. Throughout their trip, they learned about apprenticeship and internship opportunities, discussed a variety of economic and talent development initiatives, and gained insights into strategies for strengthening sector partnerships to benefit both employers and jobseekers. These conversations will directly inform two Future Ready Oregon investments—Benefits Navigators and Prosperity 10,000—managed, respectively, by Staci, the Benefits Navigator program analyst for Future Ready Oregon, and Jennifer, the Prosperity 10,000 program analyst for Future Ready Oregon and the Office of Workforce Investments.

Special thanks to the following individuals for sharing their time and wisdom with our staff:

• Executive Director Heather Ficht, Business Services Program Manager Kristyn Fix, and Director of Programs Teresa Cummings-Weir – East Cascades Works
• Regional Development Officers Ryan DeGrofft, Michael Held, and Brian McDowell – Business Oregon
• Executive Director Erin Carpenter, Employer Engagement Coordinator Kristian Thornton, and Financial and Program Specialist Tiffany Wilson – Eastern Oregon Workforce Board
• Employee Assistance & Apprenticeship Coordinator Karlee Rodriguez – Bureau of Labor & Industries
• Career Advisor and Instructor Mike Scroggs – Columbia Gorge Community College / WorkSource Oregon

Keep an eye out for program spotlights and future stories from the road in subsequent issues of Future Ready Oregon Updates as Jennifer and Staci continue their tour.

Pictured (left to right): Jennifer Poore and Staci Calkins