(HOC YouthBuild Student, Evelyn, 16, of Sisters working on her education work in the YouthBuild classroom at Sisters | Photo courtesy of Heart of Oregon Corps)
Initiative Helps Fill the Gap in Childcare Workforce in Central Oregon
Heart of Oregon Corps’ (HOC) YouthBuild program announces a new Child and Youth Development (CYD) career track starting in January 2022. It introduces young adults into child and youth development fields and trains them for the future workforce. The new training track helps fill the gap in quality childcare and youth development programs, and the workers needed to staff them. This new track is in addition to the YouthBuild program’s current construction training track.
“Central Oregon is a childcare desert,” says Tanner Rohne, the Child and Youth development trainer at YouthBuild. “Currently, according to an Oregon State University study, there are three plus children between the ages of 0 to 5 for every one spot available for child care due to the lack of teachers and early education professionals.”
This new CYD track is a part of the successful 24-month HOC YouthBuild program for disconnected young adults ages 16-24. Students re-engage in their high school education, in partnership with Sisters School District, while earning the nationally recognized, 300 hour, Child and Youth Care Certification. Then, youth learn and work alongside childcare teachers at nonprofit childcare facilities around Central Oregon — such as MountainStar Family Relief Nursery and Neighbor Impact Head Start — gaining valuable hands-on work experience.
One current YouthBuild student, Evelyn, 16, of Sisters, is switching from the construction track to the CYD track in February. “I have two young nieces and they make me so happy,” Evelyn said. “I want to help mold the minds of young children and help set them up for success.”
Heart of Oregon is engaging industry and workforce experts and childcare and youth development employers in an Advisory Council to guide the implementation of the new track and ensure program graduates secure competitive job placements. Current Advisory Council members include Tim Rusk, Kim Brown with Neighbor Impact and Liza Bock with MountainStar. Special project funding was received from The Collins Foundation and the US Dept. of Labor YouthBuild grant.
Join Heart of Oregon Corps for an official CYD track Launch Event at the Training Center in Redmond (835 E Hwy. 126, Redmond) on January 13, 2022 at 11am. Here, HOC will open the doors to the new CYD training classroom and welcome youth, families, partners, donors and media to learn more about the new track. If you would like to join Heart of Oregon YouthBuild for this Launch Event, please RSVP with Tanner Rohne at tanner.rohne@heartoforegon.org.
About Heart of Oregon Corps
Heart of Oregon Corps is a nonprofit organization invested in inspiring and empowering change in the lives of Central Oregon youth through jobs, education and stewardship. Their programming creates pathways out of poverty while stimulating regional economic growth. They apply a “work-earn-learn” model that invests in local young people, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds, to prepare them for the workforce and to encourage their self-sufficiency. Heart of Oregon Corps trains tomorrow’s workforce today — and they are accepting youth applications now! Equal Opportunity Employer. For more info or to apply, visit heartoforegon.org.
About Department of Labor’s YouthBuild Program
As a recipient of Federal financial assistance, Heart of Oregon Corps is prohibited from discriminating on the grounds of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation or belief and against any beneficiary of programs on the basis of the beneficiary’s citizenship/status as a lawfully admitted immigrant authorized to work in the United States. Qualified individuals with disabilities and those from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. We provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals and conduct all activities in accessible settings (as allowed by program scope). Heart of Oregon Corps’ YouthBuild project is partially funded (60 percent) by a $1.5M grant awarded under the YouthBuild Grant Initiative, as implemented by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment & Training Administration. A proud partner of the American Job Center.
