Page 8
February 24, 2021
Mississippi
Alberta
North Portland
Vancouver
East County
Beaverton
Student Nahlee Suvanvej (right) and her career mentor Tracee Wells are pictured outside the Portland Metro Workforce Training Center, located at
Northeast 42nd and Killingsworth.
A Degree and a New Lease on Life
Workforce training
center puts student
on new path
Enrolling in Portland Community
College’s Metro Workforce Training
Center gave Nahlee Suvanvej not just
a degree but a new lease on life.
The Humboldt Neighborhood res-
ident had overcome past addiction is-
sues and mental health challenges to
move to a frame of mind where she
could start looking at career training
possibilities. But it wasn’t until the
38-year-old entered the “Discovery
Options” class at the workforce train-
ing center, located at Northeast 42nd
and Killingsworth, that everything
became clear. Through that class, Su-
vanvej received intensive one-on-one
coaching and guidance that allowed
her to build skills, examine interests
and create a plan.
In 2019, Suvanvej participated in
the center’s Career Launch, which is a
one-week workshop held exclusively
for non-traditional and non-credit stu-
dents who are interested in either an
academic track with the college or oth-
er vocational training. Staff members
help them identify career goals and
create a personalized plan for success
in college, and introduce them to key
PCC services like financial aid, aca-
demic advising and more.
The Career Launch program is a pre-
cursor to PCC’s Career Pathway certif-
icate and college degree programs.
“I had a point of contact who knew
my situation and created a positive ex-
perience,” Suvanvej said. “I think this
made a major difference and I felt con-
nected to a larger community through-
out the entire journey.”
Tracee Wells is part of PCC’s Com-
munity Workforce Development team
that oversees Career Launch and con-
nects people to family-wage jobs.
Through a partnership with the De-
partment of Human Services, her team
offers career coaching and exploration,
skills workshops, and ongoing wrap
around support.
“This is pretty much the idea behind
Career Launch,” Wells said. “Students
focus on which academic program or
other vocational training track they
would like to pursue.”
The center’s work echoes the col-
lege’s commitment to equitable student
success with 83% of the students be-
ing served identifying as women, 56%
people of color and 23% persons with
disabilities.
“Everyday, we serve some of Ore-
gon’s most marginalized and vulner-
able students,” Wells said. “Nahlee
symbolizes the successes we strive to
gain from the workshop, as many of
our non-traditional students may have
multiple academic and employment
barriers and can most greatly benefit
from an on-ramp class to better prepare
for school.
“We also work closely with our part-
ners like DHS, who provide students
with a means to receive an income,
food subsidies, healthcare, transporta-
tion, and other critical support service
assistance while they are in school,”
she continued.
Wells said that the next Career
Launch group of about half dozen co-
horts will start in March. Those inter-
ested can visit the Portland Metro WTC
webpage at pcc.edu/workforce-devel-
opment/metro/.
As for Suvanvej, she completed the
“Peer Support Specialist” and “Basic
Life Support” training certification
through HealthCareers NW, which
is another college workforce devel-
opment program that is supported by
Worksystems. She then moved on
and finished the “Foundations in Hu-
C ontinued on P age 18