How Oregon Aero partnered with its local workforce board to develop textile manufacturing talent and address a shared industry challenge.

At Oregon Aero in Scappoose, skilled textile manufacturing workers are essential to the company’s success. The business designs, manufactures, and ships ergonomic products to customers around the world, but finding employees with the specialized skills it needed had become increasingly difficult.

“We were desperate,” recalls Chief Operating Officer Tony Erickson.

The challenge extended beyond Oregon Aero. Other manufacturers in the region were also struggling to find qualified workers, and there were few local opportunities for people to learn the necessary skills.

When Erickson connected with his local workforce investment board, he discovered resources he hadn’t known were available.

Together, they developed a solution: create a training program that would prepare local workers for textile manufacturing jobs.

Turning a Workforce Challenge into a Training Opportunity

Oregon Aero contributed space, an instructor, and a curriculum for the program. The workforce board helped secure the funding and resources needed to equip the training facility.

That included sewing machines, sergers, hand tools, measuring equipment, seating, lighting, and raw materials for students to practice with.

The result was a hands-on learning environment where people could develop specialized manufacturing skills and prepare for employment with Oregon Aero and other regional businesses.

For Erickson, the experience demonstrated how workforce partnerships can help employers address challenges they might struggle to solve independently.

It also changed his understanding of what workforce boards can offer.

Before getting involved, Erickson knew little about how workforce boards operated or what resources they could provide. Now, he encourages other businesses to consider them an essential tool for developing, improving, and upskilling their workforce.

Oregon Aero’s experience shows how collaboration between employers and workforce organizations can turn a shared skills shortage into an opportunity to build local talent.

Rather than waiting for qualified workers to appear, businesses can help create the training pathways their industries need.

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