$1M Workforce Ready Grant Kick Off with events showcasing scholarships, mentorship, and community building

The Knight Campus Graduate Internship Program (KCGIP) has been awarded a Workforce Ready: Innovation in Workforce Programs Grant totaling $1,039,835 to support a pathway for low-income students to enter the high-tech and manufacturing sectors. Funding will expand the $4.3M NSF Oregon Pathways to Industry Research Careers program which supports students as they move from community college to UO for their baccalaureate and master's from the Knight Campus Internship Program.

"Expanding scholarship opportunities for low-income Oregonian KCGIP, baccalaureate and community college students will have a huge impact on accessibility to higher education and increased socio-economic mobility for these students. OPIRC is well-aligned with the KCGIP's commitment to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We are excited to be launching the KCGIP Workforce Ready Training Fellowship for the upcoming cohort, which will provide up to $15,000 in scholarships for recipients!" noted Stacey York, Principal Investigator on the Workforce Ready Grant and co-Principal Investigator on the NSF grant.

The first event funded by the Workforce Ready grant was the 2023 Internfest - a day-long event at the Knight Campus attended by over 50 LCC, UCC, COCC, and UO students, UO KCGIP mentors, faculty, and staff. During the event, attendees learned about the expanded scholarship, mentorship, and research opportunities that will be available through the Workforce Ready Grant. Throughout the day, students build community with peers interested in pursuing a degree in physics, chemistry, and biochemistry, while hearing from a panel of KCGIP alumni who shared advice about being successful in school and the workplace.

Panelists include:

Michelle Regotti, 2019 KCGIP Semiconductor Track, Metrology Process Engineer at HP
Jake Soto, 2010 KCGIP Semiconductor Track, Principal Engineer, Research & Development at Microchip
Sorfina Suzali, 2021 KCGIP Polymer Track, Scientist II at Seran Bioscience
Kayla Zamora, 2019 KCGIP Molecular Sensors Track, Sr Analytical Chemist at Actylis

When reflecting on the event, alumnus Jake Soto noted "simply giving guidance to future Ducks made me feel like I'm giving back to society in a meaningful way."

The Workforce Ready Grant was awarded by the Higher Education Coordination Commission as part of Future Ready Oregon, a comprehensive program established by the passage of Senate Bill 1545 that supports the education and training of Oregonians for meaningful careers in healthcare, manufacturing, and technology industries while prioritizing historically underserved and vulnerable populations.