Future Ready Oregon Manufacturing Industry Consortium to Address Equitable Opportunities for Underserved and Underrepresented Participants in Oregon’s Manufacturing Workforce
Salem, OR – The Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) is pleased to announce the launch of the Future Ready Oregon Manufacturing Industry Consortium, which convened for its first quarterly meeting last month. The consortium brings together public, private, and community-based partners statewide to identify opportunities for equitable participation in Oregon’s manufacturing workforce.
The October meeting focused on developing the consortium’s working agreements and goals. A panel of industry, education, and community partners shared insights into strategies and barriers to developing manufacturing talent, particularly among priority populations*. These insights will inform the consortium’s immediate objective: informing priorities for Future Ready Oregon investments. In the near-term, the consortium will be developing a strategic policy and funding framework to help address gaps in the manufacturing workforce.
Launched by the HECC and Oregon Workforce and Talent Development Board (WTDB) in August 2023, the consortium engages representatives from industry, labor, education, and community-based organizations in assessing statewide manufacturing workforce needs, skills standards, and career pathways. The consortium meets quarterly, and meetings are open to the public.
Scott Bruun, vice president for government affairs at Oregon Business and Industry; Jonath Colon, deputy director of economic development at Centro Cultural de Washington County; Edward Feser, provost and executive vice president at Oregon State University; and Mariah Robbins, vice president of global people and operations at A-dec are chairing the consortium’s executive leadership team.
Future Ready Oregon is a $200 million package of investments that advances an equitable workforce system by supporting the education, training, and resources needed to access good-paying jobs and meaningful careers. The investment includes the establishment of three Industry Consortia. Consortia provide forums through which industry, education, and community representatives can develop recruitment, retention, and career advancement strategies to expand and diversify the workforce in key sectors of Oregon’s economy—healthcare, manufacturing, and technology. Members are charged with identifying ways industry can innovate, implement, and co-invest in workforce and talent development strategies that center economic mobility and the needs of historically marginalized and underserved communities.
All quarterly meetings are open to the public, with public meeting materials available on the HECC website. For more information, contact FutureReadyOregon@hecc.oregon.gov, or click here to subscribe to the Industry Consortia public meeting notices.
|
