A newly awarded $2,187,923 grant to Central Oregon Community College from the U.S. Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education — one of just 22 such grants designated for colleges and universities nationwide — will be used to develop short-term certificates for manufacturing technology with regional workforce needs in mind.
The award comes from the agency’s “Supporting Capacity-Building for High-Quality Short-Term Programs” grant division, and will help COCC create new stackable short-term certificate pathways, seven in all, that are aligned with skill specifications from local industry. Among the new certificates: entry level fabricator, structural steel welder, CNC (computer numerical control) operator and industrial maintenance.
Several Central Oregon employers will be integrated into the process — impacting curriculum design and internship development, among other things. Industry partners include Outback Manufacturing, BasX Solutions and Nosler.
“This is very good news,” said Mike Lake, director of Nosler’s innovation division. “As manufacturing processes transition toward increased levels of automation, employee skill level requirements continue to rise beyond the historical task-oriented positions and now require advanced skills that grow and change quickly. Being able to hire employees that already possess these skills is a big benefit for Nosler, and for other local manufacturers.” Nosler, Lake added, is presently building a new 80,000-square-foot facility in Redmond.
Beyond designing new credentials and reinforcing relationships with workforce partners, the funds will support hiring faculty and staff, purchase equipment and technology, and improve data systems for Pell eligibility and student outcome tracking; the new certificates will meet new federal Workforce Pell Grant requirements. The trainings will be backed by a range of student support systems, such as career counseling, financial aid navigation and job placement assistance.
“This major investment will enable us to expand fields like welding, fabrication and CNC machining, all of which are critical to the future of manufacturing in Central Oregon,” said COCC President Greg Pereira. “It will strengthen our communities and support long-term regional growth.”
COCC has worked with local nonprofit agencies Economic Development for Central Oregon and Redmond Economic Development to facilitate the involvement of area employers.
The grant comes as COCC is preparing to fully remodel its existing training center at the Redmond campus, adding more than 13,000 square feet of workspace. Classes and labs will continue during construction; completion is expected as early as winter term 2027.
The award period began Jan. 1 and runs to the end of 2029. Anticipated outcomes include the enrollment of 250 students in the new certificate programs, with at least 85% of students completing one certificate and 30% completing multiple certificates. Additionally, 75% of completers are anticipated to enter manufacturing jobs, with some 34 students expected to complete industry internships, across seven different employers.
For more information, contact Amy Ward, Redmond campus director, at 541-504-2902 or acward@cocc.edu.
