Chemeketa Community College Plays Key Role In Oregon’s Selection For National Workforce And Reentry Initiative - 01/14/26

Jobs for the Future partnership strengthens education-to-employment pathways for justice-impacted Oregonians

Salem, Ore., January 14, 2026 — Chemeketa Community College is proud to support Oregon’s participation in a new national initiative funded by Jobs for the Future (JFF) aimed at expanding education and workforce pathways for individuals with histories of incarceration.

Oregon was selected as one of four states nationwide to join the Fair Chance to Advance (FC2A) State Action Networks, a multi-year effort focused on aligning education, workforce, and employment systems so justice-impacted individuals can access meaningful opportunities for economic mobility. The highly competitive selection process included applications from more than 30 states.

The initiative is led by the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) in partnership with the Oregon Department of Corrections and the Oregon Employment Department, with colleges, workforce providers, and community partners across the state contributing to the work. Chemeketa plays an important role in supporting education, training, and workforce connections that help individuals transition successfully from custody to community.

Over the next four years, Oregon will receive up to $2.1 million in funding, along with technical assistance and access to a national learning network. The work will focus on unifying inter-agency data systems, strengthening reporting and decision-making, expanding education-to-employment pathways, and sustaining and growing in-prison WorkSource Oregon Reentry Centers as a critical bridge to post-release employment.

“Chemeketa’s mission is rooted in expanding opportunity and strengthening communities,” said Holly Nelson, Chief Workforce Innovation and Community Success Officer at Chemeketa Community College. “This initiative reflects what we know to be true: when education, workforce training, and community partners work together, people who have been justice-impacted can build real pathways to family-wage jobs, economic stability, and long-term success. We are proud to support this statewide effort and to help ensure these pathways are accessible, connected, and sustainable.”

The grant builds on several years of coordinated work guided by Senate Bill 234 (2021) and Senate Bill 269 (2023), which established a continuum of education and workforce services for adults in custody. Across Oregon, this work has expanded access to Pell Grant and state-funded education programs, strengthened pathways to college credit, invested in digital learning, and enhanced reentry services that connect individuals to community-based employment after release.

Chemeketa’s ongoing workforce and education partnerships support this continuum by aligning training programs with regional employer needs and helping individuals develop the skills required for in-demand careers.

As part of the FC2A State Action Networks, Oregon will collaborate with Kansas, Maine, and North Carolina and receive additional technical assistance from JFF and the Coleridge Initiative. The effort also emphasizes engaging people with lived experience as advisors and co-designers to ensure systems are responsive and effective.

More information about Chemeketa’s role and opportunities to engage with this work will be shared as the initiative moves forward.