OPINION
A6 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016
Real world skill-building needed in Oregon
Statewide initiative would
deliver skills to students
to replace Baby Boomers
leaving workforce
By LIZ HERRERA
Guest commentary
I’ll soon be saying “good-
bye” to my family and
friends, and my hometown,
Hermiston. I graduated high
school this year and in Sep-
tember and I’ll start my next
chapter when I go to George
Fox University to study civil
engineering and graphic arts.
This is super-exciting for
me! Just a few years ago I
had no idea what I would be
doing after high school.
But thanks to vocational
and career technical educa-
tion offered to me during
high school, I now have clear
vision for myself! One three-
year course changed the way
I viewed my own abilities
and my future.
Most Oregon students,
however, never have this
type of opportunity because
vocational and career tech-
nical education haven’t been
prioritized statewide with ad-
equate, stable funding.
That’s why Initiative Peti-
tion 65, which will be on the
November ballot, is so im-
portant for this state. To suc-
ceed, all Oregon kids need
access to hands-on learning
and a path to the future. IP65
will give schools the funds
they need to make this type
of learning available.
This was more than just
a Hermiston class; it was a
community at work. Students
from Stanield and Umatilla
have the opportunity to bus
to Hermiston for classes in
construction. I was able to
not only work with students
from Hermiston, but other
students in my district. I was
involved with this course for
two years. In my junior and
senior years, we built houses
from the ground up.
This was a hands-on ex-
perience, teaching us speciic
skills as well as awareness of
how much goes into build-
ing a house. We learned the
big things – like framing and
foundations. We also learned
Worship
about the small details that
really impress people—the
right colors, molding and
inish work, even wireless
technologies.
Our instructors were ex-
perienced contractors. They
knew the craft and the busi-
ness and they went out of
their way to mentor us. They
made sure we got exposure
to the things that interested
us most.
I can speak for my en-
tire team when I tell you we
loved doing the work. I even
came in extra days to do my
work. It was more than just a
learning exercise. It felt more
like a job – and I was respon-
sible for its success.
Students are curious and
clamoring for hands-on ex-
periences. For example, with
all the retiring baby boom-
ers, our state has a real need
for young people to go into
health care careers – many of
which don’t require a four-
year college degree but in-
stead require technical skills
that can start being learned in
high school.
Other states offer high
school classes on topics like
medical interventions, emer-
gency medical technician
and math for medical profes-
sionals.
I know these classes are
appealing to students be-
cause they see the real-world
beneits of these classes.
The problem is that in
Oregon, there just aren’t
enough classes like these
available for high schoolers.
Schools that do have
them are forced to ight for
grants, which last a couple
of years and don’t provide
stable funding needed to
make long-term investments
in technology. Which is why
many schools have one vo-
cational or technical career
course available. And with
just a few subject areas of
CTE at a high school, we
cannot hope to prepare stu-
dents for the range of disci-
plines and skills in today’s
world.
In short, schools need
more dedicated funding for
vocational and career tech-
nical education. That’s what
IP65 would do.
With huge numbers of
baby boomers exiting the
workforce, it’s vitally im-
portant that Oregon grows
its pools of people who un-
derstand everything about
construction – from carpen-
ters to engineers. The same
is true for every industry
– from the medical ield to
high technology.
Why not start educating
teenagers in high school with
skills that will make them
more employable and im-
prove their earning ability?
IP65 doesn’t raise taxes.
It doesn’t take money away
from other important causes.
And districts won’t be forced
to use IP65 dollars.
Instead, IP65 dedicates
new state revenue to Ore-
gon’s schools. It will allow
school districts to determine
what their students need to
be successful and give them
the funds to make sure all
high school students have
options for career and voca-
tional coursework.
I’m excited by the pros-
pect that in the next few
years, access to hands-on
learning like I had won’t de-
pend on the luck of the draw
or where you live. If Orego-
nians vote “yes” on IP65 in
November, we can make this
a reality.
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Echo
Community Church
21 N. Bonanza Street, Echo OR
Phone: (541) 376-8108
Sunday School • 9:30am
Worship • 10:45am
Children’s Church • 11:15am
Potluck & Communion ~
First Sunday of the Month
LANDMARK BAPTIST
CHURCH
125 E. Beech Ave. • 567-3232
Pastor David Dever
Sun. Bible Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10:00am
Sun. Worship Service . . . . . . . . . . 11:00am
Sun. Evening Worship . . . . . . . . . . 6:00pm
Wed. Prayer & Bible Study . . . 6:00pm
www.hermistonlmbc.com
The Full Gospel
Home Church
235 SW 3rd
Phone 567-7678
Rev. Ed Baker - Rev. Nina Baker
Sunday:
Sunday School........10:00 am
Worship...................11:00 am
Evening Service........7:00 pm
Wednesday Service..7:00 pm
"Casting all your care upon him;
for he careth for you."
1 Pet. 5:7
Grace Baptist Church
555 SW 11th, Hermiston
567-9497
Nursery provided for all services
Sunday School - 9:30 AM
Worship - 10:45 AM
6:00 pm
Wed Prayer & Worship - 7:00 PM
“Proclaiming God’s word,
growing in God’s grace”
First United
Methodist
Church Of
Hermiston
Rev. Dr. James T. Pierce, Pastor
Open Hearts, Open minds,
Open doors
191 E. Gladys Ave.
Sunday Worship at 11am
(541) 567-3002
St. Johns
Episcopal Church
All People
Are Welcome
Scripture, Tradition
and Reason
Family service 9am Sunday
Gladys Ave & 7th Hermiston
Fr. Dan Lediard, Priest. PH: 567-6672
Seventh-day
Adventist Church
1255 Hwy. 395 S. • 567-5834
oasisvineyard.us
Worship 10:00 AM
"come as you are"
NEW HOPE
COMMUNITY CHURCH
1350 S. Highway 395, Hermiston
Sunday Worship Services
English- Pastor Dave Andrus
9:00 & 10:45 am
Spanish- Pastor Genaro Loredo
9:00 & 10:15 am
Classes for kids during all services
For more information call
541-567-8441
Saturdays
Sabbath School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:30 a.m.
Worship Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:00 a.m.
567-8241
855 W. Highland • Hermiston
Our Lady of Angels
Catholic Church
565 W. HERMISTON AVE.
DAILY MASS: Monday-Friday
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . English 7:00 am
THURSDAY . . . . . . . . . Spanish 6:00 pm
SATURDAY: . . . . . . . . . English 5:00 pm
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spanish 7:00 pm
SUNDAY: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . English 9:00 am
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bilingual 11:00 am
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spanish 1:00 pm
OFFICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 567-5812
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NEW BEGINNINGS
CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
Worship Service 10:30 AM
Sunday School 9:00 AM
Pastor J.C. Barnett
Children's Church
& Nursery Available
700 West Orchard Avenue
P.O. Box 933
Hermiston, Oregon
541-289-4774
First Christian
Church
"Proclaiming the Message of
Hope, Living the Gospel of Love"
SUNDAY WORSHIP 10:00 AM
COFFEE / MINGLE 9:15 AM
CHILDREN'S CHURCH 10:00 AM
Nursery Provided
567-3013
775 W. Highland Ave., Hermiston
To share your worship times call
Terri Briggs
541-278-2678
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