How A.R.E. Manufacturing and Willamette Workforce Partnership are creating hands-on training opportunities and helping employees grow their careers.

When A.R.E. Manufacturing struggled to find skilled machinists, company leaders recognized that waiting for qualified workers to enter the job market wasn’t enough. They needed to help develop the next generation of manufacturing talent.

So they turned to an unexpected partner: a local high school.

With support from Willamette Workforce Partnership (WWP), A.R.E. Manufacturing helped establish Tiger Manufacturing, a student-operated machine shop that gives high school students hands-on experience in a real business environment.

Rather than simply learning about manufacturing in a classroom, students can participate in an operating machine shop, gaining practical skills and discovering career opportunities in the trades.

The program has helped create a direct pathway from education to employment.

One former participant described how the experience prepared him to enter the workforce with valuable skills and confidence in his abilities.

Investing in Employees at Every Stage

A.R.E. Manufacturing’s commitment to workforce development doesn’t end with recruiting new talent.

Through its partnership with WWP, the company has also been able to provide employees with additional training and professional development opportunities.

For one employee, that included on-the-job training tailored to the skills he wanted to develop. Working with workforce staff and A.R.E., he helped identify his learning goals and received support to pursue them.

The experience made him feel that his growth mattered to the company.

“I always felt valued from the first day here,” he shares.

Company leaders also emphasized the importance of giving employees opportunities to learn outside the workplace, gain new perspectives, and bring fresh ideas back to their teams.

Together, these efforts demonstrate how workforce partnerships can help employers address immediate staffing needs while building a stronger talent pipeline for the future.

By connecting education, industry, and workforce resources, A.R.E.
Manufacturing and Willamette Workforce Partnership are helping create opportunities for people to discover manufacturing careers, develop valuable skills, and continue growing on the job.

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