This content was published: June 11, 2004. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
College receives $4.36 million from Worksystems, Inc.
Photos and Story by James Hill
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Dislocated Worker Program at Portland Community College is the recipient of a $4,365,206 million grant from Worksystems, Inc.The grant, "Dislocated Worker Employment and Training Services,"will provide innovative services to employees and business during layoffs and closures. The grant, renewable for up to four 12-month extensions, will serve more than 1,800 people in Multnomah and Washington counties."Given the ?jobless recovery’ we’re experiencing here in the Portland metro region, this continued funding of training and employment services for laid-off workers is vital for the thousands of people who have lost their jobs and are scrambling to prepare for the future given a really tight labor market,"said Mimi Maduro, director of PCC’s workforce development programs.PCC will provide rapid-response services for employees and businesses during layoffs and closures with this grant. Services range from on-site information sessions about One Stop Career Centers to workshops on labor market conditions, developing transferable skills and more. The college operates the largest workforce training system in the state in partnership with Worksystems, providing recruiting, training, testing and placement services at four metro area locations. In addition, the DWP will provide an array of basic and intensive job-search services for job-seekers.An additional component funded by this grant is DWP’s Career Pathways program, which offers a full schedule of short-term credited and non-credit training classes to meet the needs of dislocated, unemployed and underemployed workers. These services are designed to provide critical skill upgrades and get people to work within four to six months. Career Pathways includes vocational training for non-native English speakers and professional-technical work. For additional information, contact Mimi Maduro at 503-788-6209.
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »