In 2023, CTE thrived in Coos, Curry and Western Douglas Counties. In the spring, SWOCC hosted High School Skills Day, featuring math, writing, art and science competitions for students, with prizes including college course credits. In August, SWOCC hosted Summer STEAM workshops to provide hands-on experiences for local students. This success led to the launch of Saturday STEAM Workshops. Additionally, SWOCC introduced a portable planetarium and a construction and heavy equipment simulator lab with free access for local students.
October brought the Coquille Indian Tribe’s successful career and job fair for high school students at the Mill Casino. Many local students also joined the September fair at the Three Rivers Casino Resort. In November, SWOCC's Middle School Career Exploration Day drew over 500 students, grades 4-8, from almost every regional school district. Meanwhile at local schools, students are interacting more than ever in CTE-related courses and programs as the K-12 community expands CTE offerings like workshops, industry tours and other exciting opportunities.
Introducing the SWOCC Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program. Starting winter term, 2024, this free, state-registered program provides comprehensive training in simulated heavy equipment operation, an introduction to the construction trades, career readiness and OSHA safety. The Program is tailored for individuals 16+ years old who are seeking transferrable skills needed to enter apprenticeships or to apply to jobs that may include operating equipment such as forklifts, loaders, bulldozers, graders and cranes. In just two terms, participants will undergo 120 hours of FREE training under the guidance of industry experts and earn a certificate of completion issued directly from the Bureau of Labor and Industry.
- No experience is required.
- High school juniors and seniors are eligible (16 +) .
- Classes are available at SWOCC’s Coos and Curry campuses .
Dear Industry Partners,
Being based locally is an asset! Strengthen your community partnerships by reaching out to your Career Connected Systems Navigator or Small Business Development Center. For further guidance, contact your Workforce Development Board, or STEM Hub Director.
Your direct involvement makes a difference! Mentor young people by developing internships, registered apprenticeships and posting job opportunities. Engage in outreach and promotion by participating in a career day or career fair.
Do you have a resource or contact to share? Please reach out to us at the contact information below! For an overview of how your company can get involved, download our CCL Guide for Industry Partners below. You can also visit the Career Connect Oregon page for industry partners.
Dear Community-Based Organizations,
Did you know that Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) are uniquely suited to improve workforce development for young people ages 18-24 with pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships? Learn more by reading this helpful article by the Center for Apprenticeship & Work-Based Learning!
While your organization builds capacity to run apprenticeship programs, you can partner with other organizations and provide essential training, offer referrals, and contribute services to complement existing programs. Consider pilot programs as a viable starting point!
For information about national apprenticeship initiatives, consult Apprenticeship USA. For resources specific to Oregon, check out this link from the Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries. The Oregon Health Authority is partnering with CBOs to provide funding for apprenticeship programs. Additional sources for general funding can be found at Care Oregon and the Oregon Community Foundation.
Dear CTE and STE(A)M Instructors, Counselors, and Education Administrators,
If you know someone starting out, send them to the Oregon Department of Education to learn about CTE teacher preparation and licensure. Once you are in the classroom, you are covered by Oregon State Standards. In addition, Career Connect Oregon has combined standards from the American School Counselor Association and Oregon Administrative Rules in an easy-to-read handout. We also provide you with curriculum suites at Career Connect Oregon.
To stay up-to-date in your field, consult with the Association for Career and Technical Education, and always check out what in-person and online trainings Oregon PDNetworks has to offer.
Return often to stay informed about what’s happening in your region and who to get in touch with to connect your students with the rich resources in your community.
You can also visit the Career Connect Oregon Page for educators.
Dear Students,
Get help and find the career and educational path that feels right for you. Here are some places you can check out right now!
Match careers to your interests at Oregon CIS, YouScience. Ask your school counselor for more information. What’s hot? Use Oregon’s Employment Department to research wages, required skills and education for high-demand jobs. Get paid to learn at AmeriCorps, JobCorps, and YouthCorps while serving in communities across Oregon and the US.
Want to start a business? Oregon’s Small Business Development Center and DECA have programs to help your ideas grow. Many careers with high levels of responsibility require a degree or training. Find hundreds of programs across Oregon schools. Check out Oregon’s 7 Public Universities, 17 Community Colleges, and Licensed Private Career Schools. Concerned about how you’ll pay for education? Oregon Student Aid has affordable options for everyone. You can also visit the Career Connect Oregon page for students.
Resource Guide for Grades 1-4
Resource Guide for Grades 5-8
Resource Guide for Grades 9-12
Dear Families and Caregivers,
You are the first influence on the young person in your home, and Career Connect Oregon is here to assist you in guiding them. Begin by encouraging self-discovery and exploration. What jobs are they interested in? Oregon CIS, YouScience, and Oregon Department of Education’s Career Explorer are excellent, free resources for developing awareness and beginning exploration.
What skill does your student need to develop along the way? Tap Oregon Employability Skills for their traits framework and C3 for their career journey maps, which will help in planning coursework and early workplace experiences.
As students enter high school, keep an eye on Oregon Diploma requirements. Oregon Employment Department’s Career Explorer will help spark a conversation about jobs.
PARTNERS WORKING FOR STUDENT SUCCESS
Title: Career Connected Learning Systems Navigator
Role Description: The Career Connected Learning Systems Navigator connects educational programs with career development, collaborating with schools and industry to provide students with diverse career learning opportunities.
Phone Number: 541-867-8539, ext. 139
E-mail: matt.batchelor@oregoncoast.edu
Title: STEM Hub Coordinator | Coast STEM – Oregon State University
Role Description: A STEM Hub Coordinator leads initiatives to strengthen Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education across schools and communities. This role involves strategic planning; partnership development with educational institutions, industry and government agencies; and overseeing programs that promote STEM literacy and career readiness.
Phone Number: Coming Soon!
E-mail: cynthia.resendiz@oregonstate.edu
Title: CTE Regional Coordinator
Role Description: A CTE Regional Coordinator oversees Career and Technical Education programs across a region, ensuring they meet educational and industry standards. They work closely with schools and local businesses to align CTE offerings with workforce needs.
Phone Number: 541-999-8443
E-mail: ginnyp@scesd.k12.or.us
Title: Dual Credit Coordinator
Role Description: A dual credit coordinator at a community college helps manage the dual credit program, which offers high school students the opportunity to earn college credits. This role involves coordinating with high school teachers and college faculty to align curriculum, ensuring courses meet college standards. The coordinator also facilitates the enrollment process, provides guidance to students and oversees the program’s administration.
Phone Number: 541-888-7893
E-mail: honora.buell@socc.edu
Title: Instructional Dean (CTE) | SWOCC
Role Description: An Instruction Dean oversees the development, implementation, and assessment of academic programs at a college or university. This role includes curriculum planning, faculty support, and ensuring educational offerings meet quality and accreditation standards. The dean collaborates with department heads and faculty to promote innovative teaching practices and enhance student learning outcomes, focusing on aligning the institution’s educational goals with student needs and industry trends.
Phone Number: 541-888-7312
E-mail: daniel.koopman@socc.edu
CTE Teacher Licensure is needed for an instructor to teach in a state-approved CTE program. Find out specific information for your program career cluster at the Oregon Department of Education’s CTE Teacher Licensure: Teaching, Learning, and Communication Resources. For help obtaining a CTE endorsement in your region, contact your CTE Regional Coordinator.
/* Your custom link styles with !important */CTE Educator Resources from the Oregon Department of Education provide information and a multitude of resources related to Career and Technical Education in Oregon.
/* Your custom link styles with !important */Oregon Open Learning: WBL Hub is Oregon’s K-12 open educational resource repository for work-based learning. The Oregon Open Learning: WBL Hub contains resources created by Oregon educators to help learners get the experience employers are seeking and gain the skills and credentials they need to enter and succeed in their careers.
/* Your custom link styles with !important */ASPIRE – Oregon Student Aid. The ASPIRE program helps educate Oregon students to become career and college ready. ASPIRE offers education, resources and mentoring opportunities for all students.
/* Your custom link styles with !important */Career Connect Oregon – Curriculum for Educators offers curriculum suites aligned with ASCA standards and OARs. Suites include quick-start guides, lesson plans, and handouts. Cooperative learning strategies and creative assessment ideas included in each suite!
/* Your custom link styles with !important */Workforce Talent Development Board provides a productive space for educators to engage and partner with one another that includes innovative task forces, research projects, data and reports, strategies and recommendations.
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Link to CTE Educator Resources
Career OneStop Take this 30-question interest assessment to help you match your interests with exciting careers.
/* Your custom link styles with !important */Career Journeys Watch young Oregonians in high-demand trades share their career journeys and give you a window into their workday.
/* Your custom link styles with !important */Oregon Career Pathways: Explore career pathways through the Oregon Employment Department to understand the education and training needed for different occupations. Learn which jobs are in highest demand and what they pay.
/* Your custom link styles with !important */Southwestern Community College Job Training: Southwestern Oregon Community College (SWOCC) offers various job training programs to quickly integrate individuals into the workforce, including Traffic Control Flagger Certification, a Real Estate Broker License Course and child care provider training. Additionally, SWOCC facilitates the creation of professional development training tailored to the needs of businesses and organizations aiming to enhance their employees’ skills.
/* Your custom link styles with !important */Southwestern Community College STEP: STEP (SNAP Training & Employment Program) offers SNAP recipients free educational and career services, including academic support, financial aid navigation, tuition assistance and job readiness resources.
/* Your custom link styles with !important */Career and Technical Education: Oregon Department of Education offers programs and resources for students interested in technical and vocational education. Learn more about the 6 career areas and find programs in your school.
/* Your custom link styles with !important */Oregon Apprenticeship: This website offers information on registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, helping students explore hands-on training opportunities in various trades statewide.
/* Your custom link styles with !important */Training Corps: For students interested in environmental careers, OCC provides opportunities for training and work experience in conservation. Get paid to learn at AmeriCorps, JobCorps, and YouthCorps while serving in communities across Oregon and the US.
/* Your custom link styles with !important */Southwestern Community College TRIO Programs: Southwestern offers three federally funded TRIO programs: Student Support Services provides academic assistance to current students, and TRIO Talent Search and TRIO Upward Bound focus on preparing middle and high school students for college.
/* Your custom link styles with !important */Search CTE Programs Across the State. Curious about what Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs are available? Visit this link for a database of searchable CTE programs at every high school in Oregon.
/* Your custom link styles with !important */Oregon Young Employee Safety strives to prevent injury and illnesses and promote well-being among young workers through resource sharing and community partnership.
/* Your custom link styles with !important */Oregon Career Information System provides career exploration and planning tools. Parents can access resources to help their children explore different career paths.
/* Your custom link styles with !important */Oregon Student Aid: The Higher Education Coordinating Commission offers information on higher education options in Oregon, including college and university programs.
/* Your custom link styles with !important */Personal Education Plan and Profile: Find out more about this document for secondary students—updated yearly—that contains their interests, coursework, career aspirations, participation in career-related learning and a portfolio of their achievements.
/* Your custom link styles with !important */Oregon C3 Career Journey Maps are centered around 16 major career clusters and designed to encourage discussion among practitioners, students and their families. Each map includes sample jobs, general specifications, job descriptions, suggestions for preparation, links to additional resources and suggestions for next steps.
/* Your custom link styles with !important */Search CTE Programs Across the State: Visit this link for a database of searchable CTE Approved CTE Programs offered in Oregon’s high schools. There are two report options available; a Basic Search that displays program information for one secondary school offering CTE within the selected academic year and an Advanced Search that contains additional filtering options allowing users to explore results across, regions, counties, or career areas.
/* Your custom link styles with !important */Workforce Talent Development Board – Employer Resources: Post your job openings, identify qualified candidates and plan for the future of your employees. The majority of the Workforce Talent Development Board is made up of Oregon business leaders from Healthcare, Advanced Manufacturing, Information Technology, Energy, Sports and Apparel, Forest Products, Food and Beverage, and other sectors. The WTDB provides multiple tables, convenings and events for these leaders, and their public sector partners, to develop and drive strategy, policy and value for Oregon’s workforce system.
/* Your custom link styles with !important */WorkSource Oregon: Grow your skilled workers with apprenticeships, internships and training options. WorkSource Oregon is here to partner with your business and provides free services for employers and helps businesses craft job postings for improved results, convene job candidates through job fairs and hiring events. They can also help your business identify possible tax credits, provide customized workforce data analysis, and establish market-competitive wage rates to attract and retain talent.
/* Your custom link styles with !important */Oregon Apprenticeship: Apprenticeships are an excellent way to invest in your community’s young workforce. They compliment classroom learning, ensure a trained and engaged staff, and contribute to worker satisfaction and retention. For details on how your business can participate, follow the link below:
/* Your custom link styles with !important */Mapping CTE, STEM and Workforce Education in Oregon This interactive story map shows how five groups promote career-connected learning and develop job skills across the state. The following maps allow you to interact with Oregon’s Community College Districts, Career and Technical Education (CTE) Partnerships, Education Service Districts, Regional science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) Hubs and Local Workforce Boards.
/* Your custom link styles with !important */Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries Minors, their parents and employers should know about the laws that protect children at work. They include hiring and working conditions that are specific to minors, restrictions on the hours and the types of work a minor can do.
/* Your custom link styles with !important */Regional Career Technical Education Partners and Locations
Coos Bay, OR
“One of our proudest accomplishments is our credit recovery successes. Eighty percent of our students attend for a term or two and return to their original school. We help our students navigate the complexities of the Oregon High School Diploma. Without our alternative options, many of our students are never able to have the high school graduation experience, but this year we hosted our own AYA graduation, including students who earned both their GED and their high school diploma.”
Oregon City, OR
The Coos Watershed Association is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving the Coos Watershed health. For students with 1-2 days free per week, they offer a Coho Life Cycle Monitoring Internship. The Coos Watershed Association creates a local, non-governmental network and funding resource so that landowners can easily communicate their issues and opportunities, and explore ideas and techniques for land management and watershed health.
Coos Bay, OR
“The Boys & Girls Club of Southwestern Oregon has adopted the Great Futures IMPACT Plan with all members focused on graduating from high school with a plan for the futures, demonstrating good character and citizenship, and living a healthy lifestyle. The three main focus areas are: academic success, character & leadership and healthy lifestyles.”
Coos Bay, OR
In Oregon, 19 Education Service Districts (ESDs) serve the state’s 36 counties, with South Coast ESD ranking 13th in size, covering Coos, Curry, and Western Douglas counties. This ESD supports the southern Oregon coast and inland areas, offering core services in special needs education, technology support, school improvement, and administrative support, with additional services available through local plans.
Newport, OR
“Oregon’s Regional STEM Hubs are coming together to bring engaging, hands-on science and engineering learning ideas to K-6 educators across the state! Using simple, easy to find materials, each “Bite” can be done at home, in a classroom, or in a program space. The Oregon Coast STEM Hub engages learners with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) by leveraging local and regional resources and collaborating with diverse partners.”
Coos Bay, OR
Recruit Hippo facilitates temporary, structured volunteer and paid positions related to students’ goals under professional supervision. These experiences of varied length are designed to fulfill academic credit requirements and can range from internships to practicums or co-ops, based on mutual agreement among the student, supervisor and faculty.
Clackamas, OR
Clackamas Community College offers free summer camps for Clackamas County high school students, focusing on Career Technical Education (CTE) fields. These camps offer college credit opportunities in subjects like CNC Machining and Medical Assisting. A weighted lottery selection gives priority to underserved students.
Canyonville, OR
“The SOTC Expo provides an opportunity for high school students and adult job seekers to explore and engage with employers and career opportunities in a multitude of sectors in the industrial, commercial, construction, agriculture, manufacturing, professional, and transportation industries.”
Career Connected Learning is a partnership between the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Committee. Site design, implementation and content development by Southern Oregon Education Service District, in partnership with Inflexion and the Journalistic Learning Initiative.
