Oregon is amplifying its commitment to prepare students for the workforce with a hefty $7.6 million investment in career and technical education for 74 schools across the state, according to official reports. These Career and Technical Education (CTE) Revitalization Grants target a diverse array of disciplines, offering hands-on learning experiences in many in-demand fields.
With an explicit goal to elevate student readiness for high-paying and skilled careers, the grants will bolster programs in advanced manufacturing, health sciences, construction, and more. Running the full gamut from agriculture to engineering, these CTE Revitalization Grants aim to bridge the gap from the classroom to the job market. As Dr. Charlene Williams, Oregon Department of Education Director, emphasized, CTE programs are instrumental in keeping students engaged, stating, "CTE moves the needle on student success." The significance can’t be overstated that students involved with CTE were observed to graduate at a rate of 95.0%, a striking 13.7 percentage points higher than the state's average, Williams noted in a statement, as per the Oregon Department of Education.
This focused investment comes after the Oregon Legislature set up the competitive grant program in 2011 which was further reinforced by Governor Kate Brown’s authorization of significant funding in 2015. The 2023 legislative session saw the allocation of $7.629 million specifically for these revitalization efforts, indicating sustained support for CTE pathways.
Funding decisions were made by the CTE Revitalization Grant Advisory Committee, which faced the daunting task of parsing through 66 applications totaling a whopping $16 million in requests. The selected applications were recognized for their potential to affect change, particularly for students from historically marginalized communities.
Jointly overseen by the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI), the successful programs aim to pave the way for further economic development by closing the skills gap. The state is sending a clear message with this funding: accessible, quality vocational training is a cornerstone of their educational strategy.
