Greater Portland, Inc. is highlighting the ways our region is working together to support the connection between industry and jobseekers. Together with Clackamas Workforce Partnership and Workforce SW Washington, we’re aligning employer needs with regional workforce development efforts to create targeted career pathways.

The Columbia-Willamette Workforce Collaborative (CWWC), a bi-state partnership between Workforce Southwest Washington, Clackamas Workforce Partnership, and Worksystems, aligns employer needs with regional workforce development efforts to create targeted career pathways.

CWWC brings together industry stakeholders in target sectors—Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Energy, Construction, and Healthcare—to address workforce challenges unique to the greater Portland-Southwest Washington Metro region. By convening and collaborating with employers, government agencies, community colleges, and community-based organizations, CWWC streamlines training, scholarships, paid work experience opportunities, and career pathways for job seekers based on employer needs. Engaged businesses benefit from a workforce that is already being trained to meet their industry demands.

State and regional legislators understand that successful workforce development programs are a win-win for businesses and communities alike. These investments foster equitable prosperity, ensure businesses find the skilled workers they need, and contribute to stable families, housing security, and reduced state expenditures in health and human services.

Both states have prioritized clean energy workforce development as part of their long-term economic strategies. In Oregon, funding from the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) has enabled Worksystems to focus on Clean Energy as a target sector, expanding the career coaching network, training programs, and scholarships to increase accessibility to clean energy jobs. In Washington, workforce development efforts have incorporated clean energy industry needs into training programs, aligning job seeker preparation with emerging opportunities in renewable energy, sustainable construction, and energy-efficient manufacturing.

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