WWP September 3, 2025 | e-News

Launched in 2005 by the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) and officially recognized by Congress soon after, Workforce Development Month was created to spotlight the infrastructure that powers economic mobility: the training programs, career services, and public-private partnerships that connect people to jobs. With bipartisan understanding, Congress recognized that economic growth without workforce readiness is like building highways with no drivers.

The rationale for celebrating Workforce Development Month is simple. First, workforce development provides real-time solutions to structural unemployment by bridging the widening skills gap with targeted training and employer input. Second, it gives historically underserved communities access to careers, not just jobs. And third, it affirms that the working class, from welders to caregivers, quite literally fuels our economy. Without a strong working class, the economic machine stalls.

The Mid-Willamette Valley offers great examples of how workforce training can transform economic advancement in Oregon. Willamette Workforce Partnership’s High-Performance Consortium has been working with employers to address critical skill gaps in the manufacturing trades. The consortium connects manufacturers with training resources in advanced technologies, leadership training, and upskilling opportunities for workers.

By equipping employees with the technical skills needed to adapt to new production methods, the program helps employers stay competitive while ensuring that workers secure stable, higher-wage jobs. Strategic workforce investments can sustain local industry while giving families and communities better economic mobility.

Willamette Workforce Partnership (WWP) recently talked to employers in our region and overwhelmingly, they told us they need help training the next generation of leadership and supervisors in their organizations. Leaders set the tone at work, shape organizational culture, and inspire teams. WWP leveraged funds from Future Ready Oregon – Prosperity 10,000 to directly invest in leadership and supervisory training with three local training providers.

In July, we featured Chemeketa Community College’s 18-hour comprehensive training tailored for individuals in Marion, Polk, and Yamhill counties who are looking to reskill or upskill for leadership roles in key industries like manufacturing and healthcare.

And now it’s Knife River Training Center’s turn to be recognized. Knife River is a vertically integrated aggregate and construction company dedicated to elevating construction as a career of choice while investing in workforce training and leadership development. Through innovative construction bootcamps, support for industry peers and partners, and custom training programs, Knife River is strengthening Oregon’s workforce pipeline and building a foundation for long-term economic growth.

Knife River created a two-day immersive workshop called Supervising 4 Success (S4S) which brought together 43 students to cultivate skills that would enhance their leadership effectiveness and create more engaging and productive teams.

Registration is now open for the WORKing Together Conference which convenes at the Salem Convention Center October 15-16, 2025. Use the QR code in the image below or click here to register now!