Community Outreach: Coos Bay, Oakland

Coos Bay: Port invests in college’s Health & Science Technology Building

The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay has committed $25,000 toward Southwestern Oregon Community College’s effort to build a new Health & Science Technology Building on the Coos Bay campus. The port’s donation will be pooled with other community funds toward the $16 million construction cost of the 48,000 square-foot facility.

"It’s imperative our communities on the south Oregon coast have a workforce trained and educated to take on the specialized science and health care jobs of today and the future," said Port CEO John Burns. "When companies look to expand existing operations or make new investment in a community, they choose to do business in an area with a thriving college and excellent medical care. This project ensures our region will provide both."

The Health & Science Technology Building will house classrooms, lecture halls and specialized science and collaborative health care labs for students pursuing high-skill training for local jobs. It will allow the college to add new programs, serve an additional 160 science students per year and expand the nursing degree program from 56 to 80 students. It will also benefit high school students enrolled in Health Career Pathways and dual-enrollment programs, as well as recent high school graduates and existing workers who want to improve their skills and marketability.

"The community enthusiasm for this facility to evolve our college into a new era of technology and high-skill training in science, nursing and allied health care programs is unprecedented – and inspiring," said college President Dr. Patty Scott. "We are very pleased to have the Port of Coos Bay as a partner in this project."

Oakland: Local Earnings from Port Projects Top $6.5 Million

Local workers earned $6.5 million while working on Port of Oakland construction projects in 2016. More than 60 percent of those who worked on port projects live within Alameda and Contra Costa counties. That beat the port’s annual local hiring goal of 50 percent.

"The Port of Oakland contributes to the local economy by being a major job creator," said Amy Tharpe, the port’s director of social responsibility. "We work closely with the general contracting community to ensure that they are doing everything possible to support local hiring."

Some examples:

The port adopted a Maritime Aviation Project Labor Agreement (MAPLA) in 2000 and updated it in in February 2016 to further promote local hire and promote more access for local workers interested in the construction industry. The agreement covers maritime and aviation-related construction projects funded through the port’s capital improvement program.  

MAPLA was designed to ensure employment of local residents, promote project labor stability and promote the utilization of small business. Project labor agreements are collective bargaining agreements between public agencies, contractors and local labor organizations. These agreements are authorized under the National Labor Relations Act.