SPRINGFIELD CHAMBER PARTNERS TO OFFER PAID WELDING INTERNSHIPS
Springfield, OR (October 29, 2021) — The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Lane Community College, brought four private industry partners together this past month offering paid internships to LCC welding students through the College’s Cooperative Education department. This is an outcome of discussions brought forth by industry partners through the Chamber’s #WorkReady Education Committee, showcasing a substantial need for welders amongst local organizations.
“The demand for welding talent outpaces the supply,” says Avril Watt, Site GM of Astec Franklin Blvd. “That’s why we jumped at the opportunity presented by Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce to engage with Lane Community College (LCC) to discuss paid internships for students in their welding program. Three other industry partners joined us and it was exciting to speak to the students last week. My hope is that this will provide a win-win-win outcome – the students get real-world experience in parallel with classroom instruction; LCC retains students through graduation; employers gain a pipeline of welding talent to eventually hire fulltime.”
Through the #WorkReady initiative, public and private partners are committed to engaging, cultivating, and developing a local pool of skilled, qualified, and career-ready talent. “We are incredibly cognizant of the local demand for skilled workforce, and are grateful for the opportunity to bring stakeholders together to offer solutions in developing a talent pipeline,” said Paige Sharpe, Director of Development and Talent Initiatives with the Springfield Chamber.
“We are incredibly cognizant of the local demand for skilled workforce, and are grateful for the opportunity to bring stakeholders together to offer solutions in developing a talent pipeline“
About the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce
The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce is a 501 (c) 6 non-profit association comprised of private, public, and non-profit organizations in the Springfield, Eugene, and surrounding communities. The Chamber offers programs and services to strengthen, represent, and promote business throughout the region. For more information about the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, visit www.springfield-chamber.org.
About the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce #WorkReady Initiative
#WorkReady is designed to bring the business, education, and local government communities together to connect classroom instruction to the workplace and better prepare students for careers in high wage, high demand jobs. For more information on #WorkReady, contact Paige Sharpe, Paige@Springfield-chamber.org.
