Two Douglas County Education Programs Awarded More Than $300,000 in State Career Training Grants

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. - Two Douglas County education programs have been awarded a combined $301,952.75 in state funding to expand career and technical education opportunities for local students.

The Oregon Department of Education and Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries announced Monday, October 26, that $6.4 million in Career and Technical Education (CTE) Revitalization Grants will support programs at schools and educational organizations throughout Oregon.

Among the recipients are Douglas Education Service District, which was awarded $176,964 for a regional culinary and hospitality education initiative, and North Douglas School District, which received $124,988.75 to modernize its welding and fabrication program.

The funding is part of the state's 2025-27 CTE Revitalization Grant Program, which is designed to help students gain practical skills and prepare for careers in industries that need trained workers.

North Douglas Receives Funding for Welding and Fabrication

North Douglas School District was awarded $124,988.75 for its North Douglas Welding and Fabrication Equipment Modernization Project.

The funding will support improvements to the district's welding and fabrication training program, helping students gain experience in skilled trades.

Welding and fabrication skills are used in a variety of industries, including construction, manufacturing and equipment repair. Career and technical education programs give students opportunities to explore those fields while still in high school.

The modernization project is one of several manufacturing and skilled trades initiatives receiving funding across Oregon.

Douglas ESD Awarded Nearly $177,000 for Culinary and Hospitality Education

Douglas Education Service District received $176,964 for the Douglas County Regional Culinary & Hospitality Learning Collaborative.

The project is intended to expand career and technical education opportunities in culinary arts and hospitality through a regional approach.

Culinary and hospitality programs can introduce students to careers in food preparation, restaurant operations, tourism and related industries while helping them build practical workplace skills.

The regional collaborative is among several hospitality and culinary education projects funded in this round of state grants.

Statewide Investment Supports Career Training

The CTE Revitalization Grant Program was established to help schools create or improve programs that connect classroom instruction with hands-on career training.

During Oregon's 2025 legislative session, lawmakers appropriated $7.9 million for the 2025-27 grant cycle. The funding is being directed toward 51 high schools, educational partnerships and education service districts across the state.

Projects receiving awards cover a wide range of career fields, including health care, advanced manufacturing, agriculture, construction, computer science, engineering, hospitality and natural resources.

According to state education officials, the program is intended to improve student engagement, academic success and high school completion while also helping communities develop a skilled local workforce.

The investment is especially relevant to rural communities, where access to specialized training equipment and career education programs can be limited.

For Douglas County, the two awards will support different areas of workforce preparation: modernizing welding and fabrication training in North Douglas and developing regional culinary and hospitality education opportunities through Douglas ESD.

The full list of grant recipients and project awards is available through the Oregon Department of Education's CTE Revitalization Grant Program.