Nonprofit health care organizations have an opportunity to apply for workforce funding through the Future Ready Oregon program.
Future Ready Oregon is a $200 million investment package that was originated by the Racial Justice Council’s Workforce Workgroup, and was approved by the state legislature during the 2022 session. One of its components will fund recruitment, retention, and career advancement opportunities for nonprofit community-based organizations and public workforce service providers in health care, manufacturing, and technology industries. Applications are now being accepted for the first round of grants intended to build workforce programs and must be submitted by Aug. 13th.
Future Ready Oregon funds will be administered through the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC), which will work with local workforce development boards to distribute funds to nonprofits. Nicole Stapp, Deputy Director for Systems Alignment for HECC’s Office of Workforce Investments, discussed the program during Wednesday’s Health Care Workforce Committee meeting. She said grants will increase capacity for organizations to offer workforce training, direct financial support, and wraparound services to job-seekers from priority populations.
“Priority populations include communities of color, women, low-income communities, veterans, people with disabilities, incarcerated individuals, members of Oregon tribes, older adults, LGBTQ members, and members of rural communities,” Stapp said.
Several different types of grants are available through Future Ready Oregon, including Workforce Ready Grants. Workforce Ready Grants will distribute a total of $95 million, which will support the administration of workforce programs for job-seekers pursuing careers in health care, manufacturing, and technology industry sectors. A total of $9.8 million will be distributed through the first round of Workforce Ready Grants.
“A Future Ready Oregon technical advisory committee is in development and will inform the grantmaking process for future rounds of Workforce Ready Grants,” Stapp said. “There’s definitely much more money to come.”
Those interested in Workforce Ready Grants can find more information here.