Supporters defend investment in career and technical classes | Redmond Economic Development Inc.
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Supporters defend investment in career and technical classes

Supporters defend investment in career and technical classes

In 2011, the state began offering grants for career and technical programs and last year awarded $10.9 million to districts across the state. The grants are designed to be seed money to help engage local businesses as partners and leverage more funding, according to Charlie Burr, a spokesman for Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, which runs the grant program with the state’s Department of Education. The Legislature is now considering how much money to put toward the grant program for the coming years and Burr notes there is “tremendous demand” for this funding. Meanwhile, a series of bills introduced in Salem this year to expand access and funding to career and technical education are still in committee.

Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian met with students at Redmond High and Bend High to make the case for more grant funding. Both schools received hefty grants last year ­— $268,000 to Bend for its renewable energy and electric vehicles program and $475,000 to Redmond for manufacturing. That program has 28 students now and Beard, the coordinator, expects to have double that next year; the school has also enlisted 29 business partners in Central Oregon to help students with internships and jobs.