“Oregon is at a critical inflection point.”

That is the central message of the Governor’s Prosperity Council report, released last month. The report outlines a strategy for strengthening Oregon’s economy in the face of rising costs, slowing population growth, and increasing competition for businesses. It identifies workforce and talent development as a key priority, including a call to invest in scalable, high-performing workforce programs that deliver measurable employment and wage outcomes aligned with industry needs.

The Oregon Workforce Partnership (OWP)—representing Oregon’s nine Local Workforce Development Boards, including Worksystems—has expressed strong support for the report’s talent development recommendations. In a response letter to Governor Kotek, OWP emphasized that Oregon already has employer-led regional workforce infrastructure in place and urged state leaders to build on those existing foundations.

Local workforce boards serve as conveners, bringing together employers, education and training providers, labor organizations, and community partners, to align investments and respond to regional workforce needs. OWP noted that this model is already producing results, including connecting thousands of Oregonians to training and employment opportunities through the state’s Prosperity 10,000 initiative.

The letter also highlights the importance of sector partnerships, supportive services such as housing, transportation, and child care, and stronger coordination across state systems. OWP urged the state to strengthen existing workforce governance structures and ensure local workforce boards have a formal role in implementing the Prosperity Council’s recommendations.

As Oregon moves from vision to implementation, workforce boards across the state stand ready to help employers find talent, connect Oregonians to quality jobs, and support long-term economic prosperity.