University of Oregon students map workforce pathways to help ALICE households in Lane County

A team of University of Oregon Master of Public Administration students presented a workforce gap analysis to the Lane County Board of Commissioners on June 11, 2025, arguing that clearer career pathways in health care and housing could help ALICE households — residents who are asset‑limited, income‑constrained and employed — move to economically sustainable wages.

The students said the project mapped entry requirements, training options and advancement routes in two sectors and produced visual “flowcharts” to show how entry‑level workers can progress into higher‑paid roles. “Our purpose within this project was to get residents of Lane County financial stability through the tool of workforce development,” student Wren said during the presentation.

Why it matters: students told commissioners roughly one‑third of Lane County households meet ALICE thresholds and many ALICE workers are already concentrated in health care and housing. The students argued that low barriers to entry plus clear, supported advancement could create rapid wage progression for many workers and recommended county investment in outreach, centralized data and training partnerships.

The presenters said their mixed methods analysis used BLS and Census data plus local interviews and resulted in two sector-focused flowcharts. The health care cluster employed about 22,000 people in 2023 (roughly 12% of the local workforce) and had an average annual wage the students reported at about $72,389; the sector is projected to add roughly 3,000 jobs (about 15%) by 2032, the students said. The housing sector employed roughly 8,000 workers in 2024 and the students reported an average annual wage near $66,400. The students emphasized that some entry roles (for example, home health and personal care aide positions) are below ALICE income thresholds but offer routes for rapid advancement through certificates and employer‑supported training.

“Home care has no formal education requirement to start,” Jasper said while walking commissioners through a flowchart. “While beginning careers are below the individual ALICE threshold, professional development certificates and bridge programs can move people above that threshold.”

Commissioners, staff and members of the public highlighted two recurring concerns: apprenticeship bottlenecks in skilled trades and the practical challenge of getting the flowchart information to people who need it. Commissioner Christian Buck said the visual templates would be valuable “for places like Lane Workforce and agencies that work directly with the people that are looking to seek a better life.”

The students’ principal recommendations: 1) promote awareness of mapped career pathways using multiple communication channels and multilingual materials; 2) invest in centralized workforce data and evaluation to track retention and wage advancement; and 3) deepen partnerships with training providers (for example, Lane Community College and apprenticeship programs) so curricula align with labor market demand.

The presenters also urged the county and partners to study apprenticeship slot shortages — identified in their flowcharts as “bottleneck zones” for electricians, plumbers and line workers — and to explore options to increase capacity. They recommended the county use the visual flowcharts in intake and counseling at workforce agencies and colleges.

The board thanked the students and noted the analysis was a starting point for further local planning; commissioners asked staff to consider how to connect the materials to existing county services and Lane Workforce Partnership activities. No formal county action or vote was taken at the presentation.

The students and staff identified multiple next steps, including refining wage and time‑to‑credential estimates, adding more sectors to the template, and piloting outreach with employers and community colleges to test whether the flowcharts improve job placement and retention.