February is National Career Technical Education (CTE) Month. The OCCA and Oregon's 17 community colleges look forward to sharing with legislators the impact community college CTE programs have on Oregon's workforce, communities and the state's economic recovery from COVID-19 and devastating wildfires. Each week in February will feature different CTE career/industry areas. Be sure to look for additional communication from your local community college about their CTE programs.

This week features two career areas: Business/Management/HR and Communication/Arts/Information.

Business/Management/HR

The Business and Management career learning area focuses on the business and entrepreneurial needs of Oregon's students as they prepare to enter and succeed in the world of business. The careers in this area span virtually every industry in the world. Studies in Business and Management focus on the commonalities among most businesses, including concepts such as personnel management, marketing, planning, finance, and resource management. This area also includes careers in the hospitality and tourism fields.
Human Resources (HR) includes a wide range of careers that weave together work in the areas that focus on people: their needs, their growth and development, and their safety and well being. Those who work in the fields representing human resources need a common foundation of knowledge and skills that enable them to assess the complex dilemmas facing individuals and groups in unique situations, identify and weigh options and possibilities, and act in ways that are effective and socially-responsible.

The Arts, Information and Communications Career Learning Area includes a wide range of career clusters that involve the creation or transmission of information through the manipulation of a symbolic language. There is an emphasis on process and the concepts of creativity, integrity, and aesthetic awareness. A product is usually associated with that process, but it is the process that retains primary importance.
Arts, audio/video technology, and communications workers use creativity and their talents on the job. You might work for an audience as a performer or artist. This includes painters, dancers, sculptors, actors, and singers. Or, you might work behind the scenes to make a performance successful. This includes set designers, editors, broadcast technicians, and camera operators.
Information Technology (IT) work involves the design, development, support, and management of hardware, software, multimedia, and systems integration services. This industry has a revolutionary impact on the economy and society. IT careers are available in every sector of the economy.

Miss today's Workforce Wednesday noon Zoom session? Click here to view the recording, which features Columbia Gorge Community College (Business), Klamath Community College (Business Administration), Lane Community College (Graphic Design), and Umpqua Community College (Cybersecurity). Hear from students, faculty and business partners about what makes these programs special and relevant in their communities.

Be sure to join us for next week's Workforce Wednesday noon Zoom session (Feb. 17) on Industrial Engineering/Transportation/Apprenticeship. We try to keep these to about 30 minutes, so they're quick snapshots of the great programs at our colleges!

Miss last week's Workforce Wednesday session on Health/Biomedical Sciences? Click here to view the recording, which features Mt. Hood CC, Southwestern Oregon CC, Oregon Coast CC, and Central Oregon CC.

For some students, launching a new career can be scary. Thanks to the Business Administration program and Small Business Development Center at Klamath Community College, many students have found success. Check out some success stories in this video!

As technology continues to advance and become integral in every business and industry, skills and knowledge in cybersecurity have become essential to secure information. Umpqua Community College's Cybersecurity program teaches students how various technologies work together so that students can understand how to best protect them and their data. Check out this video about the program to learn more!

MikesBikes, a business simulation, is part of the business administration curriculum at Linn-Benton Community College. The goal is for students to run their own bike shop and not only gain as much market share as possible, but also to increase their shareholder value. For the students who did the best, that meant the opportunity to compete on a bigger stage. Click here to learn more about how students were invited to participate in the MikesBikes World Championship!

Columbia Gorge Community College is piloting a program called Flex Connect that allows students to choose their mode of instruction to suit their unique needs and allow for more flexibility in how they attend their business classes. Check out this great video about the program!

The Lane Chamber Choir, directed by Lane Community College faculty and director of choral activities Matthew Svoboda, created a music video called "Singing to the Screen." The performance pays tribute to the ensemble that's determined to sing together in whatever way possible. The performance was not as simple as everyone jumping onto Zoom together and singing -- there was a lot of technical pieces that needed to come together to make it work. Click here to see the special video and click here to read a great article about the effort.

Did you know that Academy Award-winning actor, producer and director Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump, Big, Philadelphia, The DaVinci Code, Cast Away, Larry Crowne, etc., etc., etc.) got his start at a community college? He even says he owes "it all to community college." Wow. Hanks studied theatre arts at Chabot College in Hayward, Calif. - an experience that inspired his film Larry Crowne. While not all students become Tom Hanks, it's safe to say that community colleges change lives every day, particularly in CTE programs. Check out the 2015 opinion piece Tom Hanks wrote about this in the NY Times.

Clackamas Community College offers farmers path to renewable energy - Canby Herald, 2/6/21
Opinion: Make a down payment on Oregon's future by investing in community colleges - Oregonian, 2/7/21
Treasure Valley Community College to celebrate its Natural Resources Wildland Fire programs - The Argus Observer, 2/7/21
New diesel mechanic program at Chemeketa aims to put students in hard-to-fill jobs - Salem Reporter, 2/1/21
Mt. Hood Community College joins $5M job training grant - Gresham Outlook, 1/30/21
"Singing to the Screen": Lane Chamber Choir performs virtually, together - KLCC/NPR, 1/29/21

Other Community College CTE in the News
Biden seeks to strengthen registered apprenticeship program, modernize workforce training - Society for HR Managers, 11/30/20
Can community colleges step up as engines of economic recovery? - Center for Workforce & Economic Opportunity, 11/13/20
Community colleges team up with governors to reskill workers during pandemic - EdScoop, 7/21/20
Opportunity America Report: Community colleges can be the primary provider of job-focused education - Working Nation, 7/6/20

Oregon community colleges serve their specific communities, and programs reflect the needs of their local business and industries. Check out the wide array of career & technical education programs that Oregon community colleges offer in this great video!

Legislators: Do you want to show your support for community colleges? Join the Community College Caucus!

The Community College Caucus began in 2019 as a bipartisan group of legislators who wanted to support the work of the colleges, engage in issues affecting students and institutions, and work for increased funding for Oregon's 17 colleges.The Community College Caucus is open to any member of the legislature who would like to participate. The Caucus usually meets monthly depending on the legislative schedule and what issues are being considered in the legislature. The first meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 11 (TOMORROW!).

Community College Caucus meetings usually include a short presentation by community college leaders, students, advocates, employees or industry partners followed by discussion and then planned actions Caucus members intend to take in the legislative process such as supporting particular legislation.

Typically, meetings are at noon and include lunch but are currently online due to the pandemic. Questions? Contact OCCA Deputy Director John Wykoff.

Need another reason to support and invest in Oregon's community colleges? Check out this great opinion piece in the 2/7/21 Oregonian, written by three community college presidents: Mark Mitsui (Portland CC), Lisa Skari (Mt. Hood CC) and Tim Cook (Clackamas CC). Their powerful message emphasizes the importance and value of investing in community colleges to improve Oregon's workforce and support communities.