News Release 08-038-D

Partnership will use $32,000 from Alcan to assure students learn ‘job-ready’ skills

	News Release 08-038-D	For more information:
	Release date: 10/06/08	Bentley Gilbert
	For immediate release	(541) 440-7747
	http://www.umpqua.edu/ 

Assuring that high school and community college graduates are “job-ready” is the purpose of a $32,000 grant that Umpqua Community College has received from Alcan Cable Roseburg.

The Alcan plan in Roseburg manufactures aluminum bare overhead cable, low-voltage insulated service cable and building wire for utility, residential and commercial construction markets.

As a direct of this partnership with UCC, Alcan Cable managers will assist with developing lean manufacturing course material and provide instruction for the course in a career linking program, an educational initiative to prepare young people at secondary schools and UCC in Douglas County for employment.

As a first of its kind in Oregon, this “career linking” program assists instructors in developing classroom curricula, at the middle school level that will be directly linked to high school courses and then to specific college degree programs.

On Wednesday, October 8, and Thursday, October 9, 27 faculty and staff from UCC, the Douglas Education Service District, Sutherlin School District, North Douglas School District, Yoncalla School District, Alcan Cable and Roseburg Forest Products will tour the Alcan Cable plant, north of Roseburg, near Wilbur, and meet with industry representatives about the education and skills necessary to produce their products. Industry and education participants include middle school and high principals and vice principals, math instructors, English instructors, career counselors, metals instructors, business education instructors and computer instructors, as well as officials from Roseburg Forest Products.

This “real-life” view of the jobs and skills students need will take place tomorrow morning, Wednesday, at the Alcan Cable plant, at 867 North Bank Road, just south of Wilbur off of Highway 99 (Take exit 129 and follow 99 north.). [EDITORS & REPORTERS: This tour is open to the media, will be highly visual and spokespersons from UCC, the participating secondary schools and Alcan will be available.]

This way, educators will help insure that students at the College and area middle and high schools have the latest and most relevant training available in the areas ranging from entry-level production positions to skilled positions such as electrician and millwright as well as college graduate-level engineering positions.

On Thursday, all participants will begin working on curricula.

For more information, please contact Bentley Gilbert, UCC community relations director, at 541.440.7747 or Louise Jones, human resources director at Alcan, at 541.440.6607.