News from the Industry Consortia
Manufacturing Industry Consortium Kick-off
This Tuesday, August 29, marked the launch of the Manufacturing Industry Consortium. Representatives from industry, labor, education, and community-based organizations convened for a series of presentations, panels, and working group discussions. Gail Krumenauer, state employment economist for the Oregon Employment Department, presented on Oregon's manufacturing workforce trends, and industry leaders and community-based organizations shared insights into workforce- and talent-development opportunities, as well as the many barriers to equitable access and participation in the manufacturing industry.
Pictured: Members of the Manufacturing Industry Consortium participate in a breakout discussion at the August 29, 2023, kick-off meeting at the A-dec Education Center in Newberg.
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Technology Industry Consortium First-quarter Meeting
On August 22nd, the Technology Industry Consortium held its first quarterly meeting to identify technology workforce gaps and opportunities and establish goals for developing policies and informing future rounds of Workforce Ready Grant funding.
The Consortium heard presentations on the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) equity lens by Rudyane Rivera-Lindstrom, director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the HECC, and on technology workforce education and training programs by community-based organizations that each received a Workforce Ready Capacity-Building Grant (2022). Representatives from EncodeXP, the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, Hacienda Community Development Corporation, and the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization each presented on obstacles to equitable access and participation encountered by underrepresented and underserved communities throughout Oregon.
Read more about the Technology Industry Consortium in our recent press release (available in both Spanish and English).
 Pictured: Panelists discuss education and training programs at the Technology Industry Consortium first-quarter meeting on August 22, 2023, at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham.
Thanks to our presenters, consortia members, moderators, and hosts for a set of highly informative and engaging public meetings this August!
Upcoming Industry Consortia Meetings and Resources
The second-quarter meeting of the Healthcare Industry Consortium is scheduled for September 14th, and the Manufacturing Industry Consortium and Technology Industry Consortium will convene for their first-quarter meetings this October.
More information on meeting times, dates, and locations is forthcoming on our Industry Consortia webpage. The quarterly meetings are open to the public. Sign up to receive public meeting notices for the Industry Consortia by email here.
Horizons Project Inc. Develops New Curriculum for Students and Jobseekers
With Support from a Workforce Ready Capacity-Building Grant
This week’s Workforce Ready Grant Round 1 spotlight features Horizon Project Inc. (HPI), which provides residential, employment, and community living supports for adults experiencing intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in Umatilla County.
Responding to growing community needs for workforce development services, HPI is increasing capacity at its Steps to Empowerment Program (STEP) Center in Hermiston. A Workforce Ready Capacity-Building Grant has helped HPI expand the center through its Ready Workforce Initiative, which involves hiring additional staff, expanding the program, and diversifying employer partners.
This initiative was designed to offer a new person-centered curriculum, enabling close work with youth transitioning from Hermiston High School and enhanced marketing to the Hispanic community throughout Umatilla County. In the future, the initiative will include internship programs through local employers, with a focus on healthcare and manufacturing.
Bringing together community members and staff proved crucial to developing the Ready Workforce Initiative. HPI’s diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant and curriculum consultant partnered with stakeholders from Hermiston High School, Blue Mountain Community College, Good Shepherd Health Care System, and parents of adults living with I/DD to develop culturally responsive outreach strategies and expand its network of accessible, individualized education, training, and internship opportunities. The result? HPI now has a strong curriculum, portions of which can be accessed in Spanish, that can be easily tailored for participants and their employers alike.
Terri Silvis, CEO of HPI, comments: “I am incredibly proud of how community partners came together to work with our program leaders to create an implementation plan that will result in enhanced offerings that are impactful and relevant to the individuals we support. Lisandra Sepulveda, chief program officer, and Eilleen Moore, STEP Center director, provided the hands-on leadership needed to complete a thoughtful planning process, and our work continues with focus and intentionality.”
Learn more at: https://horizonprojectinc.org/
Story developed in collaboration with HPI. Pictured above: HPI participant Charles Page works with Eilleen Moore, HPI's STEP Center director.
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Workforce Ready Grants, Round 2
Expect Updates This Fall
The application period for Workforce Ready Grants, Round Two: Innovation in Workforce Programs closed on June 23, 2023. We received a strong response to this funding opportunity. Thank you to all our applicants who worked so diligently to develop and submit proposals, and to all our volunteer reviewers for their thoughtful feedback! We are in the process of evaluating and scoring proposals and anticipate:
- Notices of Award – September 2023
- Issuance of Grant Agreements – October 2023
Look out for details in future issues of Future Ready Oregon Update.
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