A Year of Shared Learning
2025 in Review
Over the past year, as the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) continues to administer the Future Ready Oregon investment, a key theme has emerged: the importance of shared learning. The Industry Consortia, together with HECC’s communities of practice for Future Ready Oregon grantees, have provided forums for sharing successes, challenges, and promising practices for workforce development. In addition, each Consortium convened at least one quarterly public meeting outside the Portland Metro and Salem areas to hear directly from community partners about region-specific strategies for recruiting, training, and retaining local talent. This year also marks the release of key reports and resources that are informing sector-specific strategies for preparing diverse learners and workers for in-demand jobs—now and into the future.
Continue reading for highlights from the past year, featuring grantee stories and a timeline of key activities and milestones.
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Grantee Highlights From the Past Year
In 2025, we reported on a variety of Future Ready Oregon grant-funded projects. Topics ranged from innovative approaches to apprenticeships, to region-specific strategies for talent development, to the value of collaborative program delivery. Thank you to all of our Future Ready Oregon grantees who have been administering their grant-funded projects over the past year, and a special thanks to the grantees who contributed to the newsletter this year—check out their stories below!
2025 Timeline of Key Reports and Activities
January – March
A number of Future Ready Oregon grantees and their partners joined the Industry Consortia for panel presentations on their grant-funded projects. They shared recommendations for future workforce development initiatives related to behavioral health, advanced manufacturing, technology, registered apprenticeships, and youth programs. Featured grantees included Hillsboro School District, Western Oregon University, Oregon State University, Oregon Bioscience, Apprenti, and Chemeketa Community College.
July – September
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The Industry Consortia convened outside the Portland Metro and Salem areas for their quarterly public meetings to hear from Future Ready Oregon grantees and their employer, postsecondary education, and community partners on regional strategies for talent development. The Technology Consortium convened at the Pendleton Convention Center in Eastern Oregon, the Manufacturing Consortium convened at the University of Oregon in Eugene, and the Healthcare Consortium convened at Tillamook Bay Community College in Northwestern Oregon.
Each Consortium also reviewed and approved occupation profiles and wage data for high-skill, high-wage, high-demand jobs in Oregon’s healthcare, manufacturing, and technology sectors – the culmination of a year-long project to meet the occupational wage data requirements under House Bill 3306 (2023).
October – December
This November, Oregon Workforce Partnership presented the Prosperity Programs 2025 Annual Report to the Workforce & Talent Development Board. The Future Ready Oregon investment package included $35 million in Prosperity 10,000 funds for Oregon’s nine local workforce development boards to expand opportunities for Oregonians to jumpstart and advance their careers in high-demand industries and occupations that put them on a pathway to self-sufficiency. Oregon Workforce Partnership, which represents the leadership of the local workforce development boards, prepares an annual report summarizing the primary activities and accomplishments from the administration of these funds.
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Technology Consortium Confirms Public Meeting Schedule for 2026
The Technology Consortium has set dates for its quarterly public meetings in 2026. Note that schedules may be revised closer to the date of each meeting. To stay up to date on the latest meeting information, subscribe to our Industry Consortia public meeting notices. Notices are sent two weeks prior to each meeting and include the confirmed meeting date, time, location, and agenda. The public is welcome to attend.
- Wednesday, March 4, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (virtual)
- Wednesday, May 27, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, August 26, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, November 18, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
To view the 2026 meeting schedules for the Healthcare and Manufacturing Consortia, visit our Consortia public meeting page (schedules are posted in the Resources section for each Consortium) or see last month’s newsletter.
Save the Date for the 2026 Oregon Talent Summit
The Oregon Talent Summit, hosted by the Workforce & Talent Development Board (WTDB) in collaboration with the HECC, will be held on May 19, 2026, at the Salem Convention Center. Since 2018, the Talent Summit has been a cornerstone event for shaping and advancing Oregon’s workforce and education strategies, bringing together leaders from business, education, community-based organizations, state agencies, policymakers, and others from across the state. Please save the date, and share this with your networks to encourage statewide participation. Join the Talent Summit mailing list, available on the WTDB website, to stay informed on this event.
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