State Opens Future Ready Oregon Funding Opportunity

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The Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) has announced that the application period is now open for the Future Ready Oregon Workforce Ready Grants, Round One: Capacity Building grants.

A total of up to $9.8 million will be distributed through this first round of grants. Nonprofit community-based organizations as well as nonprofit and public workforce service providers are eligible to apply. These grants are focused on increasing capacity to offer workforce training, direct financial supports, and/or wraparound services to job-seekers from priority populations pursuing careers in several high demand fields.

For more information on this grant opportunity and how to apply:

  • View the Requests for Applications (RFA) materials on the HECC Grant and Contracting Opportunities webpage, including materials in Spanish.
  • After reviewing the materials, attend one of three optional information sessions currently scheduled for July 6, July 13, and July 20, 2022

The State of Oregon has committed to supporting the educational and training needs of Oregonians through the establishment of Future Ready Oregon, also known as SB 1545 (2022).

Future Ready Oregon is a comprehensive $200 million investment package that supports the education and training Oregonians need for family-wage careers, prioritizing Oregonians of color and other key priority communities. Future Ready Oregon originated in the Racial Justice Council’s Workforce Workgroup.

This package invests in existing successful programs and in innovative equity-focused solutions to bolster recruitment, retention, and career advancement opportunities for priority populations, including communities of color, women, low-income communities, rural and frontier communities, veterans, incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, persons with disabilities, members of Oregon’s nine federally recognized tribes, individuals who disproportionately experience discrimination in employment on the basis of age, and individuals who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community.

To learn more about HECC’s Future Ready Oregon efforts visit the HECC Future Ready Oregon webpage.