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Council adopts resolution to support pre‑apprenticeship and Summer Works youth employment program
Summary
Portland's City Council on April 23 adopted a resolution directing support and funding for workforce pre‑apprenticeship programs and the Summer Works youth employment initiative; the council approved an amendment moving Summer Works staffing to the Bureau of Human Resources and the measure passed 11-0.
PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland City Council on April 23 adopted a resolution directing funding and program support for workforce pre‑apprenticeship programs and the Summer Works youth employment initiative, voting 11‑0 after a late amendment to locate staffing in the Bureau of Human Resources.
Councilor Jo Ann Smith (sponsoring the resolution) described the measure as a targeted investment to expand apprenticeship pipelines and youth employment opportunities for historically underrepresented communities. The resolution (Document No. 2025-156) directs the city to encourage funding for the Summer Works program for FY 2025–26, to support registered pre‑apprenticeship programs, and to form an advisory committee to provide strategic guidance and yearly reporting on participant demographics and outcomes.
Work Systems Inc., the Portland‑area workforce board, urged council to preserve and expand the programs. "These programs are not optional. They are a foundation of safety, opportunity, and hope," Andrew McGough, executive director of Work Systems, said in testimony. Invited witnesses and community providers underscored the programs' role in creating training pipelines into construction trades and other family‑sustaining careers; several speakers described multi‑year pathways from summer employment into registered apprenticeships.
The council approved an amendment proposed by Councilor Smith that moves the Summer Works staffing responsibility from the council office to the Bureau of Human Resources and specifies that Work Systems Inc. will operate the initiative. The amendment passed on a roll call and the underlying resolution was later adopted as amended.
Public testimony included local workforce providers and national guests. Derek Albert, co‑chairman of the National Organization of Black County Officials, gave a multi‑year personal account of how summer government employment shifted his career trajectory: "Those three years changed my life," he said. Local nonprofit leaders also told council the programs provide alternatives to low‑wage summer jobs and create mentoring and recruitment pathways into college and careers.
The resolution asks PBOT and other bureaus to prioritize equity, to coordinate with community organizations, and to require annual reporting to council on program accomplishments and participant outcomes. Committee staff noted that the resolution was considered and amended in the labor, workforce and development committee on April 10.
Why it matters: Support for pre‑apprenticeship and youth employment programs is central to local workforce development strategies, particularly for BIPOC youth and residents facing economic barriers. Testimony emphasized that internships and paid summer placements produce measurable gains in school retention, lifetime earnings and job readiness.
Next steps: The resolution directs program operation and reporting but does not by itself appropriate permanent new general fund revenues; summer works and pre‑apprenticeship funding will be resolved in the budget process. Council members urged that the program be operationalized within city staffing and procurement systems so it can scale and align with major public projects and union apprenticeship pipelines.
