Apply by July 31st for Workforce Ready Grants
To Recruit and Retain a Diverse Workforce in Healthcare, Manufacturing, and Technology
The Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) is now accepting applications for the next 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 Requests for Applications. Workforce service providers and community-based organizations are invited to apply by July 31, 2024, and may submit multiple applications. This is the third and final round of competitive grant funding available through the Oregon Legislature's 2022 investment known as Future Ready Oregon (Senate Bill 1545).
The available funding includes approximately:
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$18 million for healthcare projects—specifically, $9 million for projects that advance nursing career pathways and $9 million for projects that address community-identified healthcare workforce needs, |
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$12 million for manufacturing projects that focus on outreach, awareness, and career exploration, and/or on earn-and-learn education and training opportunities, and |
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$10 million for technology projects that focus on upskilling and retraining incumbent workers (adult learners, dislocated workers, and individuals employed in high-tech and other industries), and/or on transferrable technology skills, training, and career awareness. |
Visit the HECC Grant and Contract Opportunities web page to view the RFAs, apply, and access free resources for support—including answers to frequently asked questions, information sessions, and technical assistance providers.
You can also read the HECC press release here in English and here in Spanish, and learn more about Future Ready Oregon on the HECC website.
The priorities for this funding opportunity were informed by the Healthcare, Manufacturing, and Technology Industry Consortia. The consortia were established by Future Ready Oregon and launched by the HECC in partnership with the Workforce and Talent Development Board. Industry Consortia convene industry, education, labor, and community partners to identify and address sector-specific workforce development challenges and opportunities. Our thanks to the Consortia for their recommendations.
Need Help With Your Application?
Talk to a Technical Assistance Provider
Application support from technical assistance (TA) providers is available to all prospective Workforce Ready Grant applicants at no cost. You can find more information about the TA providers on the HECC Grant and Contract Opportunities web page.
Who are the TA Providers?
TA providers are experienced grant writers and nonprofit professionals contracted by the HECC to provide free coaching and guidance for Workforce Ready Grant applications.
What can they help with?
TA providers can:
- Discuss eligibility requirements to help you determine your eligibility and whether the RFA aligns with your mission and the communities that you serve.
- Clarify application requirements and elements needed for submission.
- Identify strategies for approaching the application.
- Review application drafts by providing feedback in response to these types of questions:
- Does my project make sense?
- Is my narrative clear?
- Do my responses address the application prompts thoroughly?
- Help you navigate the application submission portal.
- Assist you in accessing translation services for support in languages other than English.
When should I contact a TA provider? How long are their services available?
TA providers are available while the RFAs are open from May 31, 2024, to July 31, 2024, for application support. We recommend contacting a TA provider early in the RFA process. TA providers may not be able to fulfill last-minute requests.
Following funding announcements, TA providers will be available to provide feedback and offer consultation to unfunded applicants.
I would like support from a TA provider. How do I contact them?
Consult the HECC Grant and Contract Opportunities web page. The list of TA providers and their contact information appears in Section 1.4 of each RFA. Provider biographies also appear as a supplemental document to each RFA on the web page.
TA providers will respond to requests for assistance within two business days. We recommend you reach out to one TA provider of your choosing at a time and wait to hear their response before contacting another TA provider.
Register for an Information Session
Learn More about the RFAs from HECC's Workforce Ready Grant Administrators
The HECC will host six virtual information sessions—two for each RFA—in which HECC staff will share more information about the application process, as well as answer audience questions. These sessions are free to attend, and participation is optional but encouraged.
To register, click on the session below that works best for your schedule:
- Healthcare RFA
- Manufacturing RFA
- Technology RFA
Once you have registered, you will receive an email with the meeting link. Please email FutureReadyOregon@hecc.oregon.gov if you do not receive the link, or if you have additional questions.
Recordings of these sessions will also be made available at a later date on the HECC’s YouTube channel.
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