165 Applications Received for Second Round of Workforce Ready Grants
For a Combined Total Request of More Than $250 Million
We are pleased to announce that the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) received an overwhelming response—165 complete applications with a combined request of more than $250 million—to the Future Ready Oregon Workforce Ready Grants, Round Two: Innovation in Workforce Programs Request for Applications (RFA).
Last week, Future Ready Oregon staff issued notices of intent to award a total of approximately $35 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, making the Workforce Ready Innovation in Workforce Program Grants the largest round of Future Ready Oregon grant funding to date. Funded projects will support innovative and collaborative workforce development programs and partnerships across the state.
The Round Two application process was extremely competitive, and we received far more qualified proposals than we were able to fund. The HECC implemented a rigorous review and decision-making process, centering equity, innovation, and partnerships. Sixty individuals participated in the review and scoring process, representing agency partners, community-based organizations, culturally specific organizations, business and industry leaders, individuals from priority populations, and the public.
We look forward to publicly announcing the grantees in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, we can share some insights into our strategies for administering the RFA, along with a few noteworthy statistics that characterize the impressive pool of applicants.
In response to lessons learned from administering the Round One Workforce Ready Capacity Building Grants, along with conclusions drawn from the Future Ready Oregon Year One Report, the HECC implemented several strategies to reduce barriers for applicants in Round Two. These strategies included the following considerations:
- Technical Assistance (TA) Providers were contracted to assist prospective applicants throughout the application process, and have been retained to give evaluative feedback to applicants who were not successful in receiving funding;
- The RFA remained open for a longer duration than in Round One; and
- Applicants had access to live and recorded informational sessions with HECC staff.
As a result of the HECC’s inclusive, low-barrier grantmaking processes, the HECC received 77 applications from community-based organizations and 88 from workforce service providers, representing all parts of the state, including 35 of Oregon’s 36 counties. Applications included 120 proposals focused on healthcare, 65 focused on manufacturing, and 63 focused on technology—the three industry sectors that are the focus of Future Ready Oregon Workforce Ready Grants. This round of applicants also indicated that they will provide culturally specific training and wraparound supports for all 10 Priority Populations* identified in the Future Ready Oregon legislation (Senate Bill 1545, 2022) as historically underserved and underrepresented.
We thank our community partners who have shared insights that led to strategies for an inclusive RFA process, as well as those who have shared ways we can continue to improve. We appreciate our partners who have volunteered their time and talents to review applications and engage with community partners to share news of this opportunity broadly across the state—we couldn’t do this without you!
* Priority Populations as identified in Senate Bill 1545 (2022) 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.
Healthcare Industry Consortium Convenes to Plan for Future Rounds of Workforce Ready Grants
Future Ready Oregon’s Healthcare Industry Consortium convened on September 14th at RISE Partnership in Portland to advance its short-term objectives of informing future rounds of Workforce Ready Grants. Highlights from the meeting included presentations by the Oregon Employment Department and HECC staff on the current healthcare workforce landscape and a panel discussion featuring representatives from RISE Partnership, Rogue Community College, and the Oregon Center for Nursing—organizations that received Workforce Ready Capacity Building Grants in 2022—on their experiences developing regional partnerships and advice for future grantees.
Our warm thanks to our host, presenters, consortia members, and moderators for a lively and productive meeting!
Please visit our Industry Consortia webpage for more information about each Consortium, including past meeting materials and recordings. The quarterly meetings are open to the public.
Pictured: Members of the Healthcare Industry Consortium participate in a breakout discussion at the September 14, 2023, meeting.
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