April 12 Oregon Talent Summit Focuses on Opportunities in the Recently-Approved Future Ready Oregon Investment Package
The third Talent Summit speaker lineup includes keynote William B. Bonvillian, Governor Kate Brown, Oregon Legislators and Racial Justice Council leaders
Salem, OR- The Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) and the Oregon Workforce and Talent Development Board (WTDB) are proud to co-host the 2022 Oregon Talent Summit on April 12, 2022. This year’s Talent Summit will focus on Governor Kate Brown’s Future Ready Oregon, a comprehensive $200 million investment package recently passed by the Oregon Legislature that supports the education and training Oregonians need for family-wage careers, prioritizing underserved communities and equitable prosperity. Registration is still open for this in-person event, which will be held from 9:00 am – 4:30 pm in Portland at the Oregon Convention Center.
“The Higher Education Coordinating Commission and the Workforce and Talent Development Board will play an absolutely critical role in the implementation of Future Ready Oregon, and in building an equitable economic recovery for Oregon’s workforce,” said Governor Brown. “I am so pleased to take part in the Talent Summit to plan this implementation.”
Future Ready Oregon advances opportunities for training that leads to family-wage careers for historically underserved communities, including adult learners, dislocated workers, and youth. These investments bolster recruitment, retention, and career advancement opportunities for key populations, including people of color, women, people with low incomes, rural communities, veterans, people who are incarcerated or were formerly incarcerated, persons with disabilities, members of Oregon’s nine federally recognized tribes, older adults and people who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community. It will fund innovative equity-focused solutions serving workers in high-demand health care, manufacturing, and technology industry sectors. It will also bolster successful existing programs to foster a diverse, skilled workforce.
Ben Cannon, Executive Director of the HECC says, “This year’s Summit is a unique opportunity to bring partners together as we launch a once-in a-generation infusion of funding in workforce and training in Oregon, with an intentional focus on those who are most underserved. This package focuses on doing more, and also doing things differently—these are strategic and targeted investments aimed at making Oregon’s workforce system more equitable and just, and we will be seeking collaboration statewide.”
Setting the stage for a forum on Future Ready Oregon will be keynote speaker William B. Bonvillian at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who co-authored Workforce Education, a New Roadmap, with Sanjay E. Sarma. The morning program will then feature the shapers of Future Ready Oregon 2022 including representatives from the Governor’s Office, key legislative leaders, and the co-chairs of the Governor’s Racial Justice Council’s Workforce Workgroup who were each instrumental in the development of this historic investment package. Governor Brown will join virtually in the afternoon to share her insights on the tremendous opportunities in the strategies supported by this funding. In addition, key Oregon and national leaders will describe best practices related to community and industry engagement. Finally, the afternoon will include interactive sessions to learn more about implementation plans.
The Oregon Talent Summit has a track record of bringing together hundreds of participants from the workforce system, education system, and employers for strategic focus on emerging workforce needs, best practices and solutions, with successful events in 2018 and 2020. Participation generally includes representatives from business and industry, workforce and talent development, postsecondary and K-12 education, community-based organizations, government and public policy, research, and others from Oregon communities who are interested in partnering with the state workforce enterprise.
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