Oregon had twice the national average rate of TAA certifications between 2007 and 2011. The statewide consortium of 17 colleges serving 36 counties focuses on five broad workforce sectors. The consortium hired a TAA Liaison to coordinate services to improve communications and systems between the colleges, along with TAA and WIA offices, to optimize recruitment and support for TAA-eligible students. The Liaison manages the coordinated effort of all the partners, tracks TAA-eligible students and their outcomes, and conducts outreach targeted towards TAA-eligible individuals. By early this year, CASE has served over 4,700 students, including 284 TAA-eligible students. Oregon CASE is committed to sustaining this work and is moving forward to implement Intergovernmental Agency Agreements between each of the colleges and TAA.

To learn more about the partnerships developed by Oregon CASE to support TAA-eligible students, read Building Intentional Partnerships to Sustain Student Success.

Deborah Richie serves as a member of the Transformative Change Initiative team at OCCRL. She has 25 years of experience as an administrator at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, including 10+ years as a dean at the Graduate College, directing graduate fellowship grants and programs. She is an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Education Policy, Organization and Leadership.