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Ÿ Work
with the Governor’s Office and Oregon Workforce Investment
Board to include specific objectives for knowledge-based
workers in incumbent training programs.
Ÿ Enhance
the availability and quality of incumbent worker training:
Ÿ
Increase
the access and availability of technology training in all
regions of the state. Develop at least one statewide project
to enhance the connection between existing technology training
and employers and workers.
Ÿ Increase
the competitiveness of Oregon’s knowledge-based workers:
Identify means to aggregate cutting-edge and specialized
technology training needs across industries to create the
critical mass and demand needed for training to be held in
Oregon. Currently training for leading edge technologies
and methodologies are held out of state limiting access and
increasing the cost of keeping Oregon’s workforce
competitive.
Ÿ Use
“Employer Workforce Training Account” (established by the
Governor’s Executive Order 03-16 and $6 million federal
funds) to focus workforce training programs on increasing
technology skills, meeting the needs of traded sector
clusters, and filling statewide occupational skill gaps.
Specifically:
Ÿ
Upgrade
skills of current workers through regional training grants to
business, labor and industry.
Ÿ
Invest
in statewide efforts to build capacity in the workforce system
to train workers for future tech-based jobs.
Ÿ
Expand
the Employer Workforce Training Account with matching state
dollars.
Ÿ
Provide
state and federal funding to the Statewide Simulation Alliance
to address shortages in the healthcare workforce by building
simulation and distance learning capacity statewide.
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The
Department of Community College and Workforce Development and
OCKED have developed a statewide
roadmap (PDF) for establishing and
maintaining a highly skilled technology and knowledge-based
workforce and are working with the Governor’s Office and
Workforce Investment Board to develop specific projects. SB 359, which
did not pass in the 2003 Legislature, would have codified the
development of the statewide workforce strategy.
The Legislature allocated $21.4 million to support education
investments in engineering and computer science education.
A review of professional engineering education programs
is underway. Considerations
in the review include needs analysis, available resources and
partnerships, as well as possible new program content and
delivery methods.
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