Green Jobs Innovation in Portland, Oregon
Portland's program, called Clean Energy Works Portland, creates a Recovery Act-funded revolving loan fund that will enable Portland homeowners to take out long-term, low-interest loans and repay them through small additions to their utility bills. Green for All has partnered with the City of Portland to implement an innovative green jobs program that aims to retrofit 100,000 homes for energy efficiency while creating new green jobs and economic opportunities for low-income residents of the city. Grantee: Portland YouthBuilders (PYB) Location of Grant Activities: Oregon Amount: $100,000 Key Partnerships: Oregon Employment Department, Southeast Works OneStop Career Center, Portland Community College, the Oregon Institute of Technology, and the Oregon Employer Workforce Training Fund Project Description: Portland Youth Builders (PYB) will expand its current greenjobs training program to prepare low-income youth for entry-level obs and advanced training in the following energy efficient and renewable energy industries: energy efficient construction, weatherization, solar and wind energy, sustainable agriculture, and residential and commercial retrofitting. Project Outcomes: Key modifications will be made to the PYB programs including the development of a weatherization pathway, the development of a green internship program, the enhancement of existing green curriculum based on feedback from the Energy Trust of Oregon, the establishment of key partnerships with PostSecondary institutions and local green employers, and the construction of PYBbuilt Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified homes. Contact: Jill Walters Portland YouthBuilders 4816 SE 92 nd Avenue Portland, OR 97266
Posted On :
12/08/09 11:35AM
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477
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131
New Publication on Career Pathway Models and Programs
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for a Competitive Workforce (ICW) and the National Career Pathways Network (NCPN) have released a joint publication, Thriving in Challenging Times: Connecting Education to Economic Development Through Career Pathways. This resource highlights successful career pathway models that create relevant, challenging learning environments for students and are designed to increase American employers' access to highly-skilled, qualified workers. Thriving in Challenging Times profiles 17 local and two statewide career pathways programs in multiple industry sectors, documenting the challenges, strategies, results, and business engagement each partnership has experienced.
Posted On :
10/27/09 02:30PM
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647
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209
The Workforce Strategy Center Releases New Report on Education Strategies for Disadvantaged Youth and Young Adults
The Workforce Strategy Center’s recent report, “Employers, Low-Income Young Adults, and Postsecondary Credentials: A Practical Typology for Business, Education, and Community Leaders,” highlights programs in 14 communities that are successfully addressing the challenge of providing disadvantaged youth and young adults with the technical and postsecondary education that may qualify them for skilled positions. Programs discussed in the report meet the following four basic criteria: Getting low-income youth and young adults postsecondary credentials that will allow them to enter and advance in career track employment. Working with employers in industry sectors important to the region’s economy. Maximizing employer roles and commitment. Demonstrating portability, scalability, and replicability. Programs discussed are based on a variety of models, including community-based organization models, community and technical college models, employer models, industry sector models, and social enterprise models.
Posted On :
10/27/09 02:18PM
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419
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146
Stories and photos from Community Services Consortium in Oregon
This document highlights two successful Recovery Act funded initiatives from Community Services Consortium in Oregon. The Employment and Training Administration has also compiled a ten-part series of “snapshots” examining the innovative features and attributes of a number of summer youth programs across the United States.
Posted On :
09/21/09 12:56PM
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636
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251
Puget Sound Industrial Excellence Center
Linking economic development to workforce development can spur economic growth by aligning the needs of the community with the needs of industry. The Puget Sound Industrial Excellence Center (PSIEC), at the South Seattle Community College, s a collaborative effort to train the area’s low-income residents for employment in high-demand jobs and to assist established and emerging businesses in the area. Article describes the services and is an example of a an apprenticeship model being expanded to address the needs of the relatively unskilled and the needs of new and established businesses.
Posted On :
07/28/09 10:58AM
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778
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422
Puget Sound Industrial Excellence Center
Linking economic development to workforce development can spur economic growth by aligning the needs of the community with the needs of industry. The Puget Sound Industrial Excellence Center (PSIEC), at the South Seattle Community College, s a collaborative effort to train the area’s low-income residents for employment in high-demand jobs and to assist established and emerging businesses in the area. Article describes the services and is an example of a an apprenticeship model being expanded to address the needs of the relatively unskilled and the needs of new and established businesses.
Posted On :
07/16/09 11:25AM
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761
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352
The Greening of Oregon’s Workforce: Jobs, Wages, and Training
This report, The Greening of Oregon’s Workforce: Jobs, Wages, and Training, produced by the Oregon Employment Department, shows that the state had an estimated 51,402 green jobs in 2008. The report, based on a survey of employers, found that green jobs accounted for three percent of Oregon’s private, state government, and local government employment. Green jobs were reported in all broad industry groups and were spread across 226 occupations. The survey defines a green job as one that provides a service or produces a product in: Increasing energy efficiency Producing renewable energy Preventing, reducing, or mitigating environmental degradation Cleaning up and restoring the natural environment Providing education, consulting, policy promotion, accreditation, trading and offsets, or similar services supporting categories 1-4 The three industries with the most green jobs were construction, wholesale and retail trade, and administrative and waste services. Combined, these industries accounted for 47 percent of Oregon’s green jobs.
Posted On :
07/16/09 11:23AM
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720
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372
Workforce Training: Credentials, Pathways and Pipelines to the Green Economy
This is a link to presentations from a workshop given at the "Good Jobs, Green Jobs" National Conference in Washington, DC, in February 2009. Building a green country requires building a skilled workforce. What does that look like in practice? Developing skills standards for green-collar jobs will benefit workers, employers and consumers alike. For workers, a credential provides mobility and bargaining power, and thus higher wages, in the labor market. For employers, it provides assurance that job applicants meet necessary skill standards. And for consumers, it provides critical information for contracting decisions. This panel addresses successes and challenges for certification and training in the emerging clean-energy economy, where most workers will need more than a high-school diploma, but less than a 4-year degree. Moderator: Sarah White, Senior Associate, Center on Wisconsin Strategy Speakers: Marcy Drummond, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Los Angeles Trade-Tech College (LATTC) Alan Hardcastle, Senior Research Associate, Washington State University Tom Gannon, Manfucturing Field Specialist, Working for America Institute Jane Weissman, Executive Director, Interstate Renewable Energy Council (NY)
Posted On :
02/13/09 12:43PM
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2536
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1629
Report: Job Opportunities for the Green Economy: A State-by-State Picture of Occupations that Gain from Green Investments
Job Opportunities for the Green Economy: A State-by-State Picture of Occupations that Gain from Green Investments, a report released in June from the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, examines 12 states and the people employed in occupations affected by six green economic strategies: building retrofitting, mass transit, energy-efficient automobiles, wind power, solar power and cellulosic biofuels. Sponsored by NRDC as part of the Green Jobs for America campaign, the report shows millions of U.S. workers will benefit from a movement to defeat global warming and transform the United States into a green economy.
Posted On :
02/02/09 01:48PM
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1834
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1177
Job Opportunities for the Green Economy: A State-by-State Picture of Occupations that Gain from Green Investments
The University of Massachusetts’ Political Economy Research Institute has released a new volume examining the “Green Economy.” Co-Director Robert Pollin and Assistant Research Professor Jeannette Wicks-Lim provide a snapshot of the kinds of jobs that are needed to build a green economy in the United States in “Job Opportunities for the Green Economy: A State-by-State Picture of Occupations that Gain from Green Investments.” According to the research, the six green strategies are: building retrofitting, mass transit, energy-efficient automobiles, wind power, solar power, and cellulosic biomass fuels. Pollin and Wicks-Lim show that the vast majority of jobs associated with these strategies are in the same areas of employment in which people already work in today, in every region and state of the country. The authors present data on employment conditions in twelve states: Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin. For each state, they report the number of people employed in each of the occupations affected by the green economy strategies, and what the average wages are in each state for each of these jobs. They also describe the national employment picture for each of the job categories.
Posted On :
07/14/08 02:38PM
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1628
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866
Priming Oregon’s Talent Pipeline: Oregon Future Workforce Needs Analysis
The Oregon Workforce Investment Board recently released a report, Priming Oregon's Talent Pipeline: Oregon Future Workforce Needs Analysis. The report is meant to guide future public and private workforce investments. According to the report, rapid change and innovation are changing the skills required of workers. Oregon is in a good competitive position relative to many other states, despite the current economic slowdown. However, Oregon's relatively low investments in the capacity of public education and training institutions, coupled with changing demographics and an aging workforce, are creating serious gaps that threaten the state’s economic base. The report identifies four major occupational groupings-production workers, engineering technicians, computer related, and engineers-which have similar foundational skills. The report recommends that workforce training investments focus on these cross-cutting skills.
Posted On :
07/07/08 11:23AM
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489
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219
Oregon Statewide Pathways Initiative
Oregon defines a career pathway as a series of articulated educational and training programs and services that enables students, often while they are working, to advance over time to successively higher levels of education and employment in a growing industry or occupational sector. Oregon has used career pathways for years as a way to strategically organize resources and services. This article describes Oregon’s career pathways model, partners, services, and funding mix and links to 29 occupational roadmaps. To access a career pathways "how to" guide go to: http://www.workforce3one.org/view/3019/info
Posted On :
02/20/08 01:36PM
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463
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388
Oregon Manufacturing Workforce Strategy Portal
Year one of the implementation of the Oregon Manufacturing Workforce Strategy closed with a review of major accomplishments. Oregon's Manufacturing Workforce Strategy is being led by the Northwest High Performance Enterprise Consortium The Strategy directs resources at the critical manufacturing sector, which employs more than 200,000 Oregonians. Key milestones accomplished in year one include the formation and seed support of five new high-performance consortia and the development of the portal, oregonmanufacturing.org, to communicate news and resources and share best practices among the many stakeholders of Oregon’s manufacturing community.
Posted On :
01/07/08 01:49PM
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332
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170
Regional Technology Councils: A Strategy for Community and Economic Development
Regional technology councils assemble, energize, and empower those individuals and entities interested in pursuing technology-based economic development in their community or region. This paper, published by the Trent Lott Center, discusses the potential roles of Regional Technology Councils (RTCs) in community and economic development. Five RTCs are briefly examined. Four mechanisms of successful RTCs and recommendations for future research are provided. List of Technology Councils is on p.17 (Appendix A)
Posted On :
11/05/07 10:14AM
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607
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213
Defining a Multiple Education Pathways Ecosystem: Portland, Oregon Case Study (Recorded Version)
A severe crisis faces our nation's workforce. The 21st century global economy demands a highly educated workforce to ensure America's competitiveness in the world market. However, too many of our youth are leaving high school without their diplomas, or are graduating from high school unprepared for post-secondary education, training, and employment. These youth represent an untapped labor pool and a valuable resource for employers. Under ETA's leadership, the public workforce system is taking the lead in creating a national strategy for reconnecting out-of-school youth to high quality education programs in response to our Nation's high drop-out rate. In collaboration with ETA Innovation University, the Office of Workforce Investment/Division of Youth Services offers a unique learning opportunity for ETA staff to learn about ETA's multiple education pathway strategy. ETA Education Day: Reconnecting Out-of-School Youth through Multiple Education Pathways will provide a forum to learn more about these challenges and how alternative learning environments prepares youth for post-secondary education, helps them re-enter the workforce supply chain, and compete for high quality jobs.
Posted On :
10/17/07 02:40PM
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287
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153
Community Colleges: The Economic Developer's Workforce Partner
This article highlights innovative initiatives and partnerships that community colleges and economic developers have embarked upon to ensure that their communities have the necessary skills to retain, attract or grow desired industries. Three of the five programs profiled are national award winners, having won the Community College Futures Assembly Bellwether Award in Workforce Development or the National Council of Continuing Education & Training (NCCET) Exemplary Program Award. Both programs emphasize demonstrated results and provide lessons learned for those interested in replicating the initiatives at their local community colleges.
Posted On :
10/10/07 12:53PM
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246
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161
State Nursing Workforce Centers Collect and Assess Data Needed for Policy Change
This article in the journal Charting Nursing’s Future explores model nursing workforce center data programs and shares the recommendations of experts about how federal and state governments can advance the development of these much-needed centers. Five state run data centers are profiled on page 4 and the federal role in establishing data infrastructure is on page 8. Links to sites profiled are provided and contact information for the 30 states that maintain this data are on page 8. Useful for workforce and economic development professionals to quantify the number of nurses in their area or to learn how other states have approached this issue. For a guide on how to create career ladders to resolve health care worker shortages go to: http://www.workforce3one.org/view/3204/info
Posted On :
10/02/07 12:36PM
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354
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196
Linfield College School of Nursing’s Ayudando Podemos program
Ayudando Podemos is a HRSA funded program serving Hispanic nursing students at Linfield College School of Nursing. With continued growth in the Hispanic population, and with seven out of ten minority students entering Oregon’s school system being from Hispanic background, it is critical to address the nursing shortage in this population to better meet the health care needs of the community. Ayudando Podemos recruits and retains Hispanic nursing students through targeted support services and resources including academic support, financial resources, cultural competency of the whole campus community, curriculum strategies, and the expansion of community partnerships with high schools, community based organizations, health career programs, and health care agencies and organizations. Related Link: http://www.linfield.edu/portland/news/2007-Aug-HRSA.php
Posted On :
09/28/07 10:24AM
/Views :
370
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134
Oregon Health Care Workforce Institute Website
The Oregon Health Care Workforce Institute (OHWI) has launched a website, www.oregonhwi.org, as part of its commitment to become a comprehensive resource on the state’s Health Care workforce. Website features include information on the Oregon legislative session and testimony, workforce efforts, reports and surveys, and funding opportunities. The website also provides links to career information, educational institutions and workforce organizations. The site is also a resource for students seeking information on health careers, for educational institutions interested in program expansion, and for policy makers researching workforce efforts across Oregon.
Posted On :
09/28/07 09:48AM
/Views :
297
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255
Computer Simulation and Game Development Program Meets the Needs of Diverse Industries
Computer simulation and gaming technology is used by a number of industries, including the military, airline and aerospace industries. In higher education, computer simulations are used by biology instructors when teaching disection. The technology is also used in medical schools to imitate cardiac conditions and to teach surgical procedures. Eugene, Oregon’s local gaming industry leads the state. To align with this industry and be positioned to support current job growth trends, Lane Community College (LCC) introduced a new program in computer simulation and game development. Representatives from a number of local employers sit on the program's advisory committee, and provided input on the original curriculum and will continue to do so as the program expands. Training is offered as part of a two-year AAS degree. Participants learn skills needed for entry-level employment, and are required to participate in internships made available by local companies. The program was developed in conjunction with Oregon's Career Pathways Initiative. It has been designed so that students can either choose to transition to a four-year program at the University of Oregon, or begin their careers after completing the two-year degree.
