Future Ready Oregon Map of Investments
 Interested in finding out where Future Ready Oregon investments are making a difference? Curious to learn more about who our grantees are, what education and training programs are being offered, and who is participating and benefitting? Check out our Future Ready Oregon map, one of the many new features of the recently redesigned HECC website. You can view the map on the HECC’s Future Ready Oregon Impacts and Outcomes page. Click on one of the nine Local Workforce Areas in the map to see that region’s grantees and what Future Ready funding they have received through the HECC.
Prosperity 10,000 Spotlight
Northwest Oregon Works invests in Training Opportunity for Maritime Crane Operators
Future Ready Oregon included $35 million for Prosperity 10,000, providing funding 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. In this installment of our Prosperity 10,000 Spotlight series, we are pleased to feature Northwest Oregon Works (NOW), the local workforce development board serving Benton, Clatsop, Columbia, Lincoln, and Tillamook Counties. NOW awarded Prosperity 10,000 funds to WCT Marine & Construction, Inc. to provide crane operator certification training.
NOW was able to use Prosperity 10,000 funds to address a unique workforce need, providing a specialized credential that led to career advancement opportunities for incumbent workers in a rural, coastal community. Specialized training in maritime crane operations was provided by Overton Safety Training, Inc.
The workshop, conducted last December at WCT’s Astoria headquarters, provided seven incumbent workers with four days of intensive training and upskilling. Overton Safety Training instructors engaged participants in a deep dive into advanced maritime crane operation strategies that encompassed both theoretical knowledge and hands-on practical skills. They also explored the nuances of safe and efficient crane operation procedures, gaining insights into industry standards and best practices.
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The result? All seven participants earned a Crane Operator Certification, preparing them for continued success in the evolving field of operating cranes on barges and other maritime structures. The training and associated credential also qualified each participant for increased wages and promotional opportunities.
The event marked a “significant step towards bolstering the skillset of our local workforce,” explains NOW executive director Heather DeSart. “The seven incumbent workers from WCT completed the program with flying colors, earning well-deserved certificates. These individuals not only expanded their skillset but also showcased a commendable dedication to excellence in their profession.”
DeSart also notes that the partnership between NOW and WCT exemplifies the importance of collaborating directly with employers and training providers to address regional workforce needs: “Through the investment of Prosperity 10,000 funds in WCT’s training initiative, NOW aimed to play a pivotal role in local workforce development, ensuring that workers are equipped with the latest skills demanded by the industry. The successful completion of the program by these seven participants serves as a testament to the transformative impact such initiatives can have on individual careers, the employer community, and the local economy.”
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Pictured: recent Industry Consortia meetings.
Upcoming Public Meetings
- Tuesday, May 21, Technology Industry Consortium Quarterly Public Meeting: 12:00 – 3:30 p.m., location TBD
- Tuesday, June 18, Manufacturing Industry Consortium Quarterly Public Meeting: 1:00 – 4:30 p.m., location TBD
- Wednesday, June 26, Healthcare Industry Consortium Quarterly Public Meeting: 1:00 – 4:30 p.m., location TBD
Visit the Industry Consortia web page for more information and click here to subscribe to the Industry Consortia public meeting notices.
Don’t Miss the Workforce and Talent Development Board’s Oregon Talent Summit, May 14-15, 2024
Featuring panels on Future Ready Oregon
The Workforce and Talent Development Board invites you to participate in the Oregon Talent Summit this May 14-15, 2024, at the Salem Convention Center. Join fellow business, education, and community leaders in learning about and discussing the implications of critical workforce and talent development trends, challenges, and opportunities. Explore how these will shape and transform education and training initiatives that advance Oregon's economic competitiveness and provide Oregon's diverse workforce with equitable opportunities for prosperity.
The Summit will have four tracks designed to address key areas of workforce development, including a Future Ready Oregon track with three Future Ready Oregon panels:
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A Shared Leadership Approach to Equitable Education and Training Strategies to Address Healthcare Workforce Needs
- Moderator: Sarah Foster, Healthcare Industry Consortium Workforce Strategist, HECC
- Sheila Clough, CEO, Mercy Flights
- Dave Koehler, Dean of Instructional Health and Public Service, Rogue Community College
- Cathy Reynolds, Vice President of Talent Management and People Analytics, Legacy Health System
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A Shared Leadership Approach to Equitable Education and Training Strategies to Address Manufacturing and Technology Workforce Needs
- Moderator: Carrie Weikel-Delaplane, Manufacturing Industry Consortium Workforce Strategist, HECC
- Jonath Colon, Deputy Director of Economic Development, Centro Cultural de Washington County
- Skip Newberry, President, Technology Association of Oregon
- Kim Parker-Llerenas, Executive Director, Willamette Workforce Partnership
- Carly Petrovic, Senior Human Resources Manager, Microchip Technology
- Lisa Skari, President, Mt. Hood Community College
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Grant Strategies for Systems Change: Community Partnerships, Flexible Funding, Culturally Specific Programs, and Wraparound Supports
- Moderator: Jennifer Purcell, Director, Future Ready Oregon, HECC
- Katrina Machorro, Workforce Ready Grant Administrator, Future Ready Oregon, HECC
- Sarah Shinn, Workforce Ready Grant Administrator, Future Ready Oregon, HECC
- Kerry Thomas, Program Manager, Future Ready Oregon, HECC
Grant Applications to Open Soon for Future Ready Oregon Grants to Advance Workforce Training and Education in Key Industry Sectors
Stay tuned for an announcement soon on the Higher Education Coordinating Commission’s Requests for Applications (RFAs) for the third and final round of Future Ready Oregon Workforce Ready Grants. The HECC will award a combined total of approximately $40 million to recruit and retain a diverse workforce in key sectors of Oregon’s economy—healthcare, manufacturing, and technology—through three sector-focused RFAs. Workforce Ready Grants are the largest component of the Future Ready Oregon investment passed by the Oregon Legislature in 2022. Future Ready Oregon prioritizes participation by individuals who have been historically underserved by or are underrepresented in education and employment. The RFAs and free resources for application support will be available in English and Spanish on the HECC’s Grant and Contract Opportunities web page this spring.
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