This EDA investment supports columbia gorge community college with expanding the health science workforce in the columbia gorge region

The Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded Columbia Gorge Community College a $1.5 million project grant under the Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) program. The grant will support the college's efforts to expand its health science workforce training programs in the Columbia Gorge region of Oregon. Specifically, the funding will help the college graduate approximately 800 new healthcare professionals over the grant period to address immediate regional workforce needs stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. These new graduates will fill positions at local medical centers, nursing homes, and emergency medicine locations experiencing staffing shortages. Some will also pursue advanced practice degrees, contributing higher-skilled jobs to the regional economy. By increasing the number of qualified healthcare workers, the project aims to help the local area absorb, recover from, and adapt to impacts from the ongoing public health crisis.

The project will support the college's efforts to train students to be qualified staff at regional medical centers, nursing homes, and emergency medicine locations. The project will help the region absorb, recover from, and adapt to the coronavirus pandemic, which has caused a nursing shortage in the area and an increase in state demand for skilled healthcare workers. Once completed, the project is expected to graduate around 800 new healthcare professionals to meet immediate regional needs or to move into further study that will lead to higher-level jobs (i.e., advanced practice nurses, physician assistants), which will contribute to the region's local workforce, create and retain jobs, attract private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.