AGC Foundation Awards $216,808 IN WORKFORCE GRANTS

The Associated General Contractors Oregon-Columbia Chapter recognizes the critical need to increase and maintain a pipeline of skilled tradespeople and professionals to ensure well trained construction workforce for the future. Through the AGC Oregon-Columbia Chapter Foundation, AGC recently awarded $216,808 in workforce development grants to the following 14 organizations. It is estimated that over 2,000 individuals will be directly impacted by these grants through the various programs. Plus, an additional 17,000 students will receive some exposure to careers in construction through career fairs and events.

• Business Education Compact (BEC) – $4,500 for support of partnership effort for two AGC member companies to participate in BEC STEM Connect program focused on connecting math, science, and construction skills to real world applications for fourth and fifth graders in underserved schools in east Multnomah County. Visit www.becpdx.org.
• Clark College Foundation – $7,500 for support start-up funding and development of materials for the Professional Edge for Construction pre-apprenticeship program. Visit www.clark.edu.
• Clark County Skills Center – $10,000 for support purchase, replacement, or repair of industry standard tools and equipment for students in their construction program. Visit www.ccskillscenter.com.
• Constructing Hope Pre-Apprenticeship Program – $10,000 for Building Brighter Futures program, a no- cost, nine-week pre-apprenticeship training for 75 disadvantaged men and women. Visit www.constructinghope.org.
• N. Santiam School District – $5,082 for purchase of equipment and tools to startup the new Home Build career technical education (CTE) program rolling out at Stayton High School in fall 2016. Visit www.nsantiam.k12.or.us.
• Portland Youth Builders – $6,000 for support of Constructing Pathways Out of Poverty pre-apprenticeship program for 60 students. Visit www.pybpdx.org.
• Northwest College of Construction – $25,000 for support of workforce outreach and training efforts for 2016–17, including careers fairs, summer camps, and NWCOC tours for students and educators. Visit www.nwcoc.com.
• Oregon Building Congress – $35,000 for support of workforce development projects for 2016–17, which includes: relationship building with high schools, CTE programs, industry advisory committees, and other industry connections; development and implementation of high school student chapters; industry mentors; and construction curriculum. Visit www.obcweb.com.
• Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. – $15,000 for support of Pathways to Success pre-apprenticeship program, a seven-week program to prepare 96 women to attain in-demand, living wage careers in the trades. Visit www.tradeswomen.net.
• Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) – $7,100 total grant allocation: $3,000 to support OIT civil engineering student chapter activities, and $4,100 funding for the purchase of equipment to design and build concrete canoe structures for student competitions. Visit www.oit.edu.
• Oregon State University (OSU) – $71,297 total grant allocation: $3,697 technology grant for equipment upgrades for OSU Construction Engineering Management (CEM) students to complete presentations and communications for classroom and student competitions; $67,600 has been pledged to support the OSU CCE industry liaison position to facilitate career and industry connections between students, faculty, AGC members, and the construction industry. Visit www.cce.oregonstate.edu.
• Portland Workforce Alliance – $5,800 for support of Bridge to Construction Careers 2016/17, which helps recruit over 100 volunteers to provide 250+ Portland area high school students experiences to learn about construction careers through career days, classroom speakers, job fairs, and summer camps. Visit www.portlandworkforcealliance.org.
• Salem-Keizer Education Foundation, Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC) – $5,000 for purchase of equipment and materials for year two of the CTEC construction program. Visit www.ctecsalemkeizer.com.
• Willamette Education Service District (Willamette Promise) – $9,583 for funding of 2016 Educator Externship Program, a two-week summer program for 10 educators to experience hands-on learning about construction careers, to share knowledge with their students and other faculty. Upon program completion, including submittal of lesson plans and program recap, educators to receive a stipend and graduate credit. Visit www.wesd.org.