Board OKs $100,000 for Clackamas Community College CTE scholarships to support workforce training

The board approved a $100,000 allocation to Clackamas Community College (CCC) to fund CTE scholarships that support student enrollment in career and technical education programs.

Dan Johnson presented the request and said the county and college have partnered on workforce programs for years; staff noted the county has budgeted an additional $100,000 for 2026‑27 and that CCC reported 50 scholarship recipients have been supported through the intergovernmental agreement to date. "These grants are generally for low‑income individuals, veterans who are going through programs," Laura (county staff) said when explaining eligibility.

Commissioners asked for detail about which programs the scholarships support. Staff and college representatives said the scholarships target high‑demand, higher‑wage pathways — examples included nursing (RN/AAS pathways that articulate to four‑year programs), medical assistant, medical billing and coding, phlebotomy, radiologic technology, electricians and plumbing apprenticeships. The commissioners expressed particular interest in expanding nursing and radiologic technology slots as high‑impact uses of scholarship dollars.

Separately, commissioners noted community concern over some automotive hobby classes that attract non‑workforce participants; staff said scholarship dollars are intended for workforce‑relevant programs and that the college is focusing resources on courses that produce job placements.

The motion to allocate $100,000 was made by Commissioner West, seconded by Commissioner Shrader, and approved unanimously.

Next steps: staff will execute the allocation and continue to request periodic reports from CCC breaking down recipients by program and employment outcomes for scholarship recipients.