WorkSource Oregon, a partnership between state agencies and local nonprofits, is a key part of the state’s effort to get more Oregonians into well-paying jobs. At WorkSource offices throughout the state, anyone looking for work can get help with exploring new career options, whether that’s building a resume, writing cover letters or doing mock interviews. People can also get money to help pay for licenses and certifications and other no-cost job training resources.
The idea to house a center within a state prison came about in 2019 from East Cascade Works, a local workforce development board that serves 10 counties east of the Cascades. The board saw an untapped workforce opportunity right in front of their eyes: hundreds of people incarcerated at Deer Ridge and at Lake County’s Warner Creek Correctional Facility who would eventually be released.
These people, with the right resources and support, could potentially fill critical jobs in the state.
“It’s cultivating a talent pipeline that we need,” said Heather Ficht, executive director of East Cascades Works. “There’s 60,000 job openings right now in Oregon and we are not reproducing at a rate to replace the workforce.”
Oregon is currently in a severe workforce shortage, according to a state report released this year. For every 100 jobs posted in Oregon, there are just 66 people available to take them.
“We have historically low unemployment,” Ficht said. “So head, heart, bottom line: it made sense.”
Ficht’s organization partnered with the Oregon Employment Department and the Oregon Department of Corrections to develop a pilot program at Deer Ridge in 2022. The program started at Warner Creek a year later.
