Latest News

For media inquiries please contact Tricia Ryan, 503.478.7326
tryan@worksystems.org.
  • Worksystems and Partners Release Workforce Plan to Support Construction Industry
    Date posted:
    October 8th, 2021
    The Columbia Willamette Workforce Collaborative - comprised of the 3 workforce board in our region including Worksystems, Workforce Southwest Washington and Clackamas Workforce Partnership - is excited to announce the release of the 2021-2023 Construction Workforce Plan! The Construction Workforce Plan outlines the priority areas that the Collaborative will focus on to support the workforce development needs of the construction industry. These priorities have been vetted and approved by industry leaders in the region, who will also evaluate and monitor progress toward completion: Connect...// Read more
  • Worksystems Participates in a Panel Addressing Jobsite Culture in Construction
    Date posted:
    October 7th, 2021
    Culture change is coming in construction. That was the takeaway from one of the livelier sessions at the three-day convention of the Oregon Building Trades Council held in September. The session featured a "Safe From Hate" panel that included Kelly Haines from Worksytems. Safe From Hate is a local construction industry partnership formed last summer after someone hung a noose on a construction jobsite in Portland. Worksystems Supports Safe From Hate Initiative Since then, 65 organizations, including contractors, developers and many local unions, have signed the Safe From Hate pledge  to...// Read more
  • Driving Diversity in Portland: Congrats Graduates!
    Date posted:
    October 7th, 2021
    Chip Shields, a former Oregon state senator, saw that truck driving jobs are among the fastest growing middle-income jobs, and yet people of color and women weren’t getting into these careers. Shields serves as a local representative of Schaeffer Specialized Lubricant which services the trucking industry. To address this, Shields established the Portland Justice Fund which provided funding to Worksystems to develop a unique program that’s creating new pathways for people of color and women into trucking careers. Partnering with Interstate Trucking Academy and the Portland Haulers Association...// Read more
  • Worksystems & Partners Receive $2.3M to Support Child Care for Job Seekers!
    Date posted:
    September 24th, 2021
    Worksystems, in partnership with Workforce SW Washington and Clackamas Workforce Partnership has been awarded a $2.3M grant from the US Department of Labor to support the child care needs of job seekers while they participate in training to prepare for a new career. Funding will be prioritized for women and people of color who were disproportionately affected by the pandemic as these populations are overrepresented in the hardest hit industries including hospitality, food service and retail. Child care in the Portland Metro area averages $1,500/month - unaffordable for households in poverty...// Read more