Southwestern Oregon Community College Receives $2.4 Million Grant to Support Career Training Programs

The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded Southwestern Oregon Community College (SWOCC) a $2.4 million grant to expand specialized technical training for careers in the health care and natural resources industries. It’s the only such grant awarded to a college in Oregon. The Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grant Program (TAACCCT) supports education and training programs of less than two years to improve workers’ skills, ensuring those workers a seamless progression along a career pathway. “We are very excited about this opportunity for our region and the state of Oregon,” said Dr. Patty Scott, SWOCC president. “This grant helps SWOCC provide direct career pathways for our students to meet industry demands and local employers’ needs for an adaptive, skilled workforce.” This career training investment gives SWOCC the ability to increase service in its learning center to support students as they work at their own pace through guided instruction in math. SWOCC also will strengthen its allied health programs for students to achieve patient-centered certificates. Those graduates will then be prepared to fill health care service gaps in rural communities. Updated programs will integrate tutoring, supplemental and innovative instruction, and curriculum aligned to industry standards. With the support of this grant, Southwestern can develop career technical education certificates to address natural resources industry workforce needs, too. SWOCC identified those employment gaps through collaborative efforts in the development of a new associate of science degree with a forestry emphasis that is articulated with Oregon State University’s bachelor of science forestry degree program. Industry partners said there is an increasing need for technicians with specialized skills in geographic information systems (GIS), forestry and natural resources fields. “This $2.4 million grant is a solid investment for our region. Not only does it help students obtain skills for 21st century jobs, it simultaneously helps local businesses find the skilled employees they need to compete,” said Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., in congratulating SWOCC. “I’m proud to support programs that offer real solutions to put Oregonians back to work.” Ultimately with this investment, SWOCC will be the lead in building statewide capacity in comprehensive employment databases through this program, helping students who complete their training to find jobs not only statewide, but along the West Coast and even nationally.