Archive for November 2024
Grant Program Now Open to Support Advanced Manufacturing Businesses Competing for Federal Contracts
Up to $150,000 per eligible business will be awarded to cover approved costs in seeking to increase competitiveness to land or retain a federal contract. NOVEMBER 27, 2024 To assist small, advanced manufacturing businesses in Oregon by increasing industry competitiveness and supporting the attainment of the compliance standards required for federal contract participation, Business Oregon…
Read MoreOregon’s Aging Workforce by Industry and County in 2023
Oregon’s workforce has been aging for decades. The number of Oregon jobs held by workers age 55 and over more than tripled from 1992 to 2023, while the total number of jobs grew by more than half (58%). In 1992, workers 55 years and over held 10% of all jobs. By 2023, that share rose…
Read MoreRebuilding the Pipeline: Supply and Demand in the Skilled Trades
Many of the systems that make modern life possible and comfortable are brought to you by skilled tradespeople. From the plumbing just beyond the walls to the overhead lines powering the screen you’re reading now, the systems we rely on are created and maintained by people who have mastered a skilled trade. While the talents…
Read MoreOregon to Receive $9.9 Million in Funding to Increase Digital Inclusion Efforts
Digital equity and inclusion investments will reach all corners of the state, providing online safety and privacy training, including cybersecurity, as part of digital skills training conducted by selected partners. Initiatives will also encourage the adoption of low-cost internet service options and increase access to affordable computing devices and technical support. Thursday, November 21, 2024 Today,…
Read MoreBusiness Oregon Awards $7.6 Million in Economic Equity Investment Program Grants
EEIP grants support culturally responsive organizations that provide assistance to eligible beneficiaries in an effort to advance economic equity. NOVEMBER 21, 2024 To drive equitable outcomes in small business development, housing, and workforce development, Business Oregon is making a final round of grant awards from the Economic Equity Investment Program (EEIP). This final round of…
Read MoreTechnology Reduces Employment in the Printing Industry
Employment in printing and related support activities has been on the decline since the late 1990s. Advances in digital technology have contributed to the decline in two important ways: first, by changing the marketplace the industry operates in as options to deliver information become more diverse; and second, by improving productivity so the industry needs…
Read MoreOregon’s Broadband Deployment Program Announces Notices of Intent to Award $133 Million to Bring High-Speed, Reliable Broadband Internet to Thousands by 2026
This initial tranche of funding aims to enhance internet access in 12,182 locations, 10,755 of which are unserved (lacking 25/3 Mbps service) or lack sufficient broadband service. A total of 16 projects are slated for funding across 17 counties. Tuesday, November 12, 2024 The Oregon Broadband Office is excited to announce it has issued Notices…
Read MoreOregon’s Hazelnut Harvest
By Pat O’Connor Oregon Regional Economist Orchards are not very difficult to find in Oregon. In the Columbia Gorge, one can hardly miss the cherry, pear, and apple orchards. In southern Oregon, pear orchards fill Jackson County’s countryside. The Willamette Valley has a variety of fruit and nut orchards, but more acres in the valley are planted in hazelnuts than any…
Read MorePacific Northwest semiconductor and mass timber industries each receive $500,000 awards from White House
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University-led efforts focused on microfluidic technology for semiconductors and mass timber design and manufacturing each have received $500,000 awards from the White House. In Oct. 2023, the White House, through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, announced the designation of 31 Tech Hubs(Link is external), including the two led by…
Read MoreOregon State University receives $5.5 million to help grow market for hemp-based products
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University’s Global Hemp Innovation Center will receive $5.5 million during the next five years to research new food, beverage and biobased industrial product uses of industrial hemp. With the funding, researchers from Oregon State and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service will develop customized hemp genetics that meet the…
Read MoreSOU computer scientist receives Sloan grant for “tacit knowledge” research
(Ashland, Ore.) — Bernadette Boscoe, an assistant professor in the Computer Science Department at Southern Oregon University, recognizes a shared need in fields as dissimilar as astronomy, environmental science and violin acoustics, and a new grant will pay for research that may benefit those and other academic disciplines. Boscoe has received a $250,000 grant from…
Read MoreSustainability conference at SOU builds regional collaboration
(Ashland, Ore.) — The initial conference of Southern Oregon University’s Institute for Applied Sustainability attracted about 85 sustainability professionals from southern Oregon and northern California this month for two days of hands-on learning, actionable insights and connection-building in Ashland and nearby venues. The invitation-only conference on Oct. 3 and 4 was open to those in…
Read More