The Future Ready Oregon Program Will Train Students to Earn Family-Supporting Wages

Oregon students can earn family-supporting wages in a $200 million investment education and training program to increase diverse workforce opportunities.

Known as Future Ready Oregon, the program aims to remove barriers to education and employment and is offered by the Umpqua Community College (UCC).

Career Opportunity for Students from Low-Income Communities

The program will recruit students from all grade levels through college. It will offer 100 students from rural and low-income communities the opportunity to participate in competitive paid internships, mentorships, scholarships, workshops, and workplace tours.

Once a course is completed, students can earn family-supporting wages in one of the four major manufacturing careers on offer in Oregon – engineering, forestry, mechatronics, and welding.

UCC is working in collaboration with local partners such as Roseburg Public Schools and manufacturers, including:

• Con-Vey – an industrial automation provider based in Roseburg.
• North River Boats – one of the country’s largest manufacturers of heavy-gauge aluminum boats.
• Orenco Systems – research, design, and manufacturer of onsite and decentralized wastewater collection and treatment technologies.
• Roseburg Forest Products – an industry-leading wood product company.

Dean of Instruction at UCC, Danielle Haskett has announced a $500,000 Manufacturing Workforce Ready Grant from the Higher Education Coordinating Commission as part of the college’s Career Ready Umpqua initiative.

The grant will be spent to prepare rural students for advanced manufacturing careers.

Haskett says that by removing barriers, the Future Ready Oregon program will strengthen the state’s economic competitiveness and develop a diverse workforce.