All In: Student Pathways Forward
This podcast focuses on elevating community college student voices to shape inclusive higher education and workforce development policies, practice and partnerships that create economic mobility.
All In: Student Pathways Forward
Columbia Gorge Community College (CGCC) - Brian Irwin, Colby Williamson & Tyrel Quantrell, CGCC grads and current GE Renewable Energy employees; CGCC President Dr. Marta Yera Cronin
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In this episode, host Marc Goldberg interviews three graduates from Columbia Gorge Community College’s Electro-Mechanical Technology program, who are all currently employed at General Electric (GE) Renewable Energy. Brian Irwin, a site supervisor, and Colby Williamson, a wind turbine technician, speak to how valuable the hands-on, practical education and training was at CGCC while also sharing their perspectives on the quality of their jobs and careers at GE. Senior services manager, Tyrel Quantrell, highlights the benefits of partnering with the college, participating in CGCC's program advisory committee and offering work-based learning opportunities.
Dr. Marta Yera Cronin, the president of Columbia Gorge Community College, reflects on the interviews and discusses different ways the college advances racial equity and economic mobility by prioritizing job quality within the college and working with employers to advance good jobs and careers in the region. She also elaborates on how Future Ready Oregon 2022 and other state funding can assist the college in developing new programs that are responsive to changing industry skill sets and occupations.
The All In: Student Pathways Forward podcast is a part of Oregon’s participation in the National Skills Coalition SkillSPAN network.
Welcome to the online student pathways for podcast in which we center working between college student and graduate voices to take inclusive policy, practice, and project. This is the host, Mark Golford, and I'm excited to focus on the important topic of job quality for season two of the top. We'll hear from between college graduates across the state working for employers with jobs. We'll also hear from executive leaders and college employer partners and from the colleges themselves. Both building on the student graduate interviews, what is important to technical perspective on the value of the substitute interviews with two graduates, Toby Williamson and Brian Irwin from the Columbia Gorge Community College Electromechanical Technology Program, who are both working for DE Renewable Energy as a wind turbine technician and the site supervisor there. Following their interviews, a discussion with the senior services manager for DE Renewable Energy in the Gorge, Myrel von Trell, who also happens to be a graduate of the same program. Lastly, I had a great conversation with Columbia Gorge Community College President, Dr. Marta Yera Cronin, about their partnerships with companies like GE and the topic of job quality. Thanks for listening in. I'd like to welcome my featured guest to this episode of the podcast, Brian Irwin and Colby Williamson, are both graduates from Columbia Gorge Community College. Welcome, Brian, and welcome Colby.
SPEAKER_04Thank you.
SPEAKER_03Thank you. I'd love to start with you, Brian, and ask if you could describe your experience as a student at Columbia Gorge Community College, how you ended up there, what you studied, and what your biggest highlight was of your experience as a student there.
SPEAKER_00Well, I came to Columbia Gorge Community College having already achieved a bachelor's degree. And then after I ended up working in uh home construction, ended up being a Finnish carpenter. And then when the uh first housing crisis in 2008, I found myself needing to find some different type of employment. And so I went on the search of what I consider new world technology, something in the tech fields. And then a friend of mine, or maybe it was uh a family member, sent me an email with a link to Clemen Gorge Community College. Back then it was renewable energy technology, it's now electrical and mechanical technology. That seems like a promising career. So started 2011 and then did a full two-year program. What I liked about it was everything's very hands-on. So spent hours upon hours upon hours in a lab. At CGCC, I had my own lab bench where I could build circuits, test them. That real hands-on time really benefited me and I think the other students as well.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, thank you for sharing that and glad that that was a key part of your experience in the program at Columbia Gorge. And Kobe would love to ask you the same question. How did you decide to enroll in classes there at CGCC? And what was the biggest success or highlight for you?
SPEAKER_04So I actually have a pretty similar answer. I also received a four-year bachelor's degree after graduation. The jobs that I did want, I was not getting because I didn't have the right qualifications. So I decided I wanted to be a wind turbine technician because it just seemed like an awesome job. I stumbled upon CGCC more so based on its location, just because it's in a really awesome place. And I talked with Jim Paitel, he's the head of the program there. So I moved out here that summer and started classes in September. Same as what Brian said. I'd really love the hands-on stuff. They have a whole mechanic shop as well as electric labs where we can build circuits. We would take apart motors. They had an old drivetrain from a turbine up in the mechanic shop that we would mess around with and take apart the gearbox. I just love that. Especially coming from my four-year bachelor's degree, which was almost entirely theoretical knowledge. I just thought it was super cool to actually get to do real work. That's what I really enjoyed.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so it sounds like that hands-on application as well. Colby, I figured it would stay with you and ask since you are a more recent crowd of the program, what do you feel was most important in preparing you for your career and the realities of the workplace?
SPEAKER_04I think what's great about that program is that it's very directed towards this niche industry working on wind turbines. Jim Pytel, who I mentioned earlier, he used to be a wind turbine technician. So he knows all about what goes on at a place like this. We learn about a lot of the tools we need, like multimeters and stuff like that. And it's really just directed towards the skills and knowledge we need in this industry.
SPEAKER_03To have a lead faculty member who has that work experience and expertise specific to wind turbine technology seems like just brings a instructional quality to the program. Right.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_03And so I wanted to ask you, Brian, and if you could talk about your current job, where you're working, and how you found that job.
SPEAKER_00So when I finished my second year of CGCC, it came time to put those skills to the test. And in that era, eight years ago, to break into the industry, it was easier to join a traveling team. So I joined Granite, a subsidiary of GE. So I traveled for about a year and I kept looking for jobs in the Northwest because that's where my family was parked here. And as soon as the one in Arlington popped up, I immediately applied for it. I got it. It was a technician level one. The traveling gig is a high-paying per diem, lots of hours per week. So the trade-off to not being with your family is you make really good money. But I have two little kids, so I wanted to be near them. Ended up being a technician level one, moved into a technician level two, got my first pay raise, then moved into a tech level three, and then ended up becoming a site lead. And then uh about October 2020, me and one other guy took the lead roles to oversee 338 turbines. And I did that for about a year, and then the site supervisor role popped up. So I jumped into that, which is where I am now. A site supervisor over 20-ish technicians on the troubleshooting and repair side. I probably will not go up any higher than I am now. Certainly some younger guys like Colby there and my manager Tyrell will probably rock it further on. But it is a unique, kind of an old school industry that you can start at the bottom, work your way up.
SPEAKER_03And sounds like you've been able to continue to build skills and advance in your career with the company at different locations and different jobs through the years. Colby, you're employed with the same company and work with Brian. So wanted to ask you what your current role is and then how you found that job.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. So Brian is actually my supervisor. I don't know if we mentioned that earlier. I started on here as a wind turbine mechanic, and I found this job through CGCC because obviously Brian and then the site manager, and a lot of people here actually went to that school. So they all knew Jim. So he told me about this. And now I recently became a wind turbine technician. Our role is just to go out to turbines. There's two sides of it there's the maintenance side and then the troubleshooting side, which I'm on troubleshooting right now. And so our job is to go out to faulted turbines and troubleshoot the problem and then fix it. That's what I do.
SPEAKER_03Thanks for sharing that. And interesting to have both of you on. Brian as a supervisor and Kobe as a member of the team and both graduates of the Columbia Gorge program. And sounds like a very strong partnership. Yeah, definitely. That can support graduates into employment opportunities, but also with an employer that supports advancement and growth. And you've been there, it sounds like a year or so. Yeah. Just about a year, yeah. And so for both of your roles as a wind turbine technician on the troubleshooting side and as a site manager, I would love to ask what you like most about your current job and how it compares to other jobs you've had before in terms of job quality. You want to go first, Brian? Sure.
SPEAKER_00I probably have more job experience than Colby, so I have more to compare this to. It's the first job I had with benefits. First job I had that had paid vacation. Now that have paid paternity leave, which is really cool. It's the first job I had where I thought I could kind of steer my own direction to a large extent. I was a Finnish carpenter. That's pretty much all I did. And I was completely dependent on people hiring me. And my skill set would improve on minuscule measurements. I could probably learn a hundred things a day now in the job I'm in. So the challenge quality is there. I don't worry when my kids get sick as much, or my wife or I get sick as somebody who's gonna be 50 this year, that's a big deal.
SPEAKER_03For sure. And so comparing it to your previous work, having, as you said, benefits, paid vacation, sick leave, it sounds like is part of those benefits. And then also that ability to be stimulated and to develop new skills constantly. I wanted to ask you the same question, Colby, of what do you like most and how has this job compared to other jobs when we think about job quality? Sure.
SPEAKER_04What I like most about this job is just the job itself. I love going out to turbines and troubleshooting. I've found the learning curve at this job is actually pretty steep. There's just a lot of parts, whether it's the software that we use or the electrical components, mechanical components of the turbines. And so I really just enjoy learning about them and figuring out they're kind of just like big puzzles. And I just love being outside and working with my hands and climbing up 300 feet. We can see Mount Hood, we can see Mount Adams and the river. It's a beautiful area, and to be outside all day, I just really enjoy that. How it compares to other jobs. I've had one office job in my life, which was mind-numbing worst experience of my life. So I think that's just kind of the person I am. I can't really sit in an office or in front of a computer all day. But I've had a lot of jobs in land stewardship and mowing and working on preserves. This is similar in some ways when we're outside all day, but this is much more intellectually stimulating, which I appreciate because I just love learning new things and applying myself both physically and mentally. This is probably been the best job I've ever had. And like Brian was saying, it's the first job I've had with benefits, and we get pretty good benefits here.
SPEAKER_03So it sounds like for you the benefits like Brian, but the intellectual stimulation as well as being outside in the physical hands-on work.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_04And it checks all the boxes. Something I really love about this job is we get along pretty well and we joke around and have a good time. At the same time, always looking out for each other. You know, it can be a pretty hazardous job. I think that really improves the work day.
SPEAKER_03We have a good group. So being part of a team and feeling supported by your colleagues?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and our management, Brian and Tyrell, they both were techs. They know what we're going through, which is awesome. They totally support us. It's nice to have that.
SPEAKER_03How about for you, Brian? Anything else you would add for characteristics of a quality job?
SPEAKER_00So the current role I'm in as a supervisor, one of the most rewarding parts about that, it kind of lends to one of my characteristics that I have about myself is I tend to be a teacher. So it's similar to being a teacher, you can definitely have a day-to-day impact on people's lives. And one of the most rewarding things about being a supervisor, because a lot of it's just really stressful, is what can I do to facilitate other people moving up? We're moving on to something bigger and better. So take Colby, since he's on here, for example, you know, one of the things I'd like to see him do with his education background, he's really analytical. How can I facilitate getting him into either the SCADA programming, the SCADA engineering side of things, or high voltage, like substation operator type stuff? Those are really high-powered jobs. Those are career type jobs. I mean, a wind turbine technician's a good job. It's not a 20-year career. You almost cannot do it that long. So people like Colby, we have a few others that I've pinpointed that in my time as supervisor, I'm gonna do everything I can to facilitate them moving up into something that would be great. There's a couple guys that I think I can facilitate getting there. That's the most rewarding part of taking on a supervisory role. A lot of people can take a supervisory role and just sign time cards and then never have any impact on people, but you can have a pretty good impact.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I really appreciate you sharing that, Brian. That's inspiring to hear how thoughtful you are in supporting your team members and knowing them and seeing their skills and finding ways to guide them and facilitating a pathway for them, as you said, to move up or move on in some cases, but supporting them as individuals, as workers to the betterment of their own career. And curious, Colby, what that means for you.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it's super appreciated. The management here is very hands-on, which I don't know how exactly it is at a lot of other places, but um Brian's office is right down the hall, and he has really facilitated a lot of opportunities here for me in high voltage and just different things like that, which I'm super interested in pursuing and learning as much as I can. I really do like that. They don't just manage from the shadows, they talk to us every day and they really keep this place running.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's helpful to get your perspective there. And Brian wanted to ask you if you have any other ideas on how colleges or employers like GE in a supervisory role can listen to students, listen to workers, better to develop policies and programs that put them in the best position to thrive and improve job quality.
SPEAKER_00So this is where I get on my soapbox about community colleges. I never got a decent paying job with a four-year degree from a fairly prestigious university in the Northwest. I'm not ragging on the university, but it took me going to get an associate's degree in an applied science that landed me a good job. So those community colleges have a unique advantage, and I've taken that to heart. That's kind of how I've approached my management style I can have an effect, a direct effect on a coworker. A community college is a direct link right straight to the veins of a community, and those are portals straight to decent paying jobs, and that's where I will prop somebody up like Jim Paitel all day long. Everybody knows him. He's inserted himself in his community full force, and he advocates for his students. One of the things that we really beat our heads against the wall on at a big corporation is how do you effect change up the ladder? That is the hardest thing to do. What I do, and Tyrell I see it does too, is okay, we can't steer a battleship with a canoe paddle. So what we can do is turn and face the other way, we can affect change at site for our techniques. So we've done some policies on site or changed some work practices to make work life better. Those are the kind of things you can do on a day-to-day basis that affects your coworkers.
SPEAKER_03Making changes to practice or policy that's in your control for a corporation. Great to hear as a relatively new supervisor. I wanted to ask you, Colby, what advice you would give to other students at Columbia Gorge Community College and maybe even other community colleges to ensure they access the programming, the support they need to complete their college credential and are able to find and keep a quality job.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, actually, to start that out on a much broader sense, I would just like to say I've become a huge proponent of community colleges. To anyone out there listening who's considering going back to college, I would highly recommend looking into community colleges rather than large universities. They're more cost effective, and I have gotten way more out of my two years at CGCC than I ever did for my four-year degree. At CGCC specifically, I would say get involved with the school. Community colleges tend to be smaller, so it's a much smaller community, and I think it could be pretty tight-knit and a cool opportunity if you pursue that.
SPEAKER_03I did want to ask if the program has a work-based learning component, like any sort of internship.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, most students after their first year will get a summer internship somewhere. My year, a lot of them got canceled, but they also must have had at least five different companies come in and talk to us while I was going there. All those companies are super eager to get students from the college, so they definitely have a good reputation there. Local companies, not just in wind, there was some drone companies and some stuff in Hood River. And so they're eager to get students from that school. So it definitely has a reputation in the community.
SPEAKER_03It is unfortunate during COVID not to have that same opportunity with internships, but just those touch points with employers that come into the classroom and share more is a strong component of a CTE program. Yeah. Anything else, Brian, you'd want to add?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, sure. So a couple things. So one is, and they've done it, is revamped the focus of the program. When I was there, it was renewable energy technology, but a direct focus towards wind. And having gone through wind, now I'm in a role where we're hiring constantly. I think it was wise of them to broaden their focus because a lot of the same skill sets apply. You know, really the only unique thing about wind is how we get to where we're working. You know, there's that added component of, you know, you got to put a harness on, you got to learn how to climb a turbine safely. But really we're using multimeters, we're using mechanical principles, we're using hydraulics, which any industry does. So I'm glad that they broadened that reach because so many more industries have popped up around here that aren't just wind turbine technicians. So they've done that well. But what I'd like to see is them beef up the program that they should be turning students away. And I don't know how they do that. I'm not here to give them advice, but I really think now that I've been in the hiring realm, it's one of the top two schools in the country that when we get students from, we know they're gonna be able to do what we need them to do. So that unique partnership is a huge selling point. And if only prospective students could know that, oh, if I go here, this is the kind of propping up that I can get. That's a big deal. For the Northwest, that should be the pipeline just through that program.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it's a great vision. So just want to ask you both one last question or two, and guess I can start with you, Colby, and ask how your experience at Columbia Gorge Community College has been impactful in your life.
SPEAKER_04Oh, entirely. It completely changed my life. I moved across the country to go there and led me to an amazing opportunity, a job that I've been wanting to do for several years now, has really facilitated this path that I'm on. It all kind of centers around the college. And now I live in the town where the college is. Yeah, entirely has shaped where I am.
SPEAKER_03That's great. How about for you, Brian? How's it been impactful in your life?
SPEAKER_00Well, in an odd way, it sort of saved my family. We were struggling. What can I say about that? It gave me a pathway to support my family and support them pretty well. And another avenue, you know, I never thought I would be a leader, so to speak. I never thought I would be in a position of where other people can rely on me. And in an odd way, it's gonna bolster me up. I'm kind of a leader. You're in my community here in White Salmon now. And none of that, none of that happens if I hadn't taken this ground.
SPEAKER_03Appreciate you both, Sharon, your perspective there. And overall, just your journey through the college, the work that you're doing. It's inspiring to hear how you both have seen the benefit and value of the community college education that you received in terms of quality, hands-on, size, access to instructors, connections in the community. And so I think that's all valuable. And I just wanted to end and ask if there's anything else either of you would like to offer or share about your current job or your experience at Columbia Gorge for this podcast episode.
SPEAKER_04I guess one thing is people should look into becoming Wintex. It's an awesome job. We could really use them and look for programs at your community colleges because they're definitely beneficial and will lead to more opportunities then.
SPEAKER_03Thanks for sharing that. And I think as you were describing your work, you could hear the passion for it in your voice and the way you described it. Definitely. How about for you, Brian?
SPEAKER_00Well, my last soapbox, community colleges serve an extremely integral role in our society. A lot of the jobs that pay really well and that require the craft are only going to be attained if our community colleges are healthy. And it does bolster up communities. So CGCC's in a small town. And without CGC in the Dalles, Oregon, that is not the same town. Those are beyond what it does in a classroom or in a lab, what a community college does to a town. The tendrils integrate with the town. So it's great for students, but it's imperative for small communities to have.
SPEAKER_03For those of us who have worked and lived in the community college system many times, heard college presidents say this community is their middle name. So I think that illustrates exactly what you're saying and describing. So with that, I just want to thank you both, Brian and Colby, for taking the time to share your experience at Columbia Gorge and your work at GE. I've learned a lot and glad to hear you both have had such rich experiences at Columbia Gorge Community College. Thank you, Mark.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, thank you, Mark.
SPEAKER_03I'd like to welcome my next guest to the pod today, Tyrell Quantrell, who's the Senior Services Manager with GE Renewable Energy. Welcome, Tyrell. Thank you. Nice to meet you. Yeah, I appreciate you joining me today and wanted to start by asking if you could share more about GE Renewable Energy and also your own personal connection to the Columbia Gorge Community College Electromechanical Technician Program.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so GE Renewable Energy, we provide multiple scopes, but for our services team, we have contracts with customers throughout multiple wind farms in the Columbia Gorge, and we provide the operation and maintenance of these wind farms. And we basically are operating a power plant for our customers. And then jumping into my connection to Columbia Gorge Community College, their electromechanical technology program, I first heard of it when I was a senior in high school. I signed up for that program as a part of Running Start, which is a Washington state program that gets high school students into college courses. And from there basically went through this two-year offering that CGCC had. And directly into my first summer in between first and second year, I had an internship and then I came back, completed the second year, and went on to get hired by Granite again to travel for a while. In 2011, I started back up with GE here in the Columbia Gorge at the Shepherd's Flat wind farm.
SPEAKER_03That's great to hear your story, and it's so interesting to hear how you found your way to the Columbia Gorge program and then to employment with GE Renewable Energy and both the high school running start model where high school youth take community college courses. And then also the internship. It sounds like that is an element of that program at the college to give students in the program work experience that can lead to permanent job opportunities. Yeah, and internships are something I know I would like to continue to pursue having. Glad to hear there's continued interest there to offer those opportunities for students to build the practical skills and the application the same way that you had that chance. I wanted to ask if you could elaborate further on how the company has partnered with Columbia Gorge Community College. And what do you think has been most valuable about this collaboration with the college? She has partnered with CGCC in a few different ways.
SPEAKER_02Some of our site management, as well as myself, have joined some of their STEM advisory meetings, and that's a way for industry leaders to collaborate directly with the college and align both the college and our industry needs. And then the other collaboration is our site leadership teams doing campus visits for recruiting, whether it's for full-time hires out of the second-year group of students, or hopefully in the near future, pursuing the internships for the first-year students.
SPEAKER_03Got it as you started with the advisory committees. I know those that function really well are listening in closely to what industry leaders are describing as skills that may be changing, or how occupations in the industry start changing to really then incorporate that into their curricula. And then that's great that you and your colleagues are able to do campus visits because that's just another touch point for students to learn about what job opportunities are available and also just learn about the employers that are hiring out of the program and be able to understand the differences. So I wanted to ask you if you had the chance to listen to the interview that I had with two members of your team, Brian Irwin and Colby Williamson. And if so, what your key takeaways were from their comments.
SPEAKER_02Yes, I did get to listen to that conversation. And big takeaway for me was just the fact that having a community college and an organization like GE partnering together, it really provides stable and quality paying jobs for our community. We can directly change the lives of our community members by simply providing that avenue for employment. This includes everything from people entering the workforce for the first time to seasoned, skilled, and experienced workers that are just looking for a career change.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and to have the types of jobs and careers that are available with GE Renewable Energy. I think it was powerful to me to hear Brian and Colby both describe how these jobs they've had with GE Renewable Energy have been different than other jobs they've had before in terms of the quality of those jobs. I think Brian was very clear in how impactful it has been on his life with this career pathway through the Columbia Gorge program. I thought it was also fascinating to hear the way they describe the teamwork and the culture and the collaboration, looking out for one another. Yes, and that's really the culture GE has been striving for, especially over the last couple of years. On that note, I wanted to ask you how GE Renewable Energy does support quality jobs at the organization. And which strategies do you think have been most impactful at recruiting and retaining strong employees like Brian and Kobe onto the team?
SPEAKER_02I think the biggest way GE supports these quality jobs is simply by working with the customers to get these extended service contracts. What that means is something similar to a site like Shepherd's Flat. Our contract with the customer is 20 years, so that guarantees technicians a job through 2042. It's a long time for somebody to make sure they're staying in the community that they love. It also brings entry-level technicians into the power plant workforce. And I think another huge part of this being a quality job is just having that path for career progression, especially with NGE. We have a lot of different avenues for these technicians to grow, whether it's them developing their skills in engineering, taking some college or further education courses through one of our programs we offer that pays for tuition for a certain amount of college credits each year to environmental health and safety type roles. It's easy for technicians to progress on a site level from technician to lead technician and then even into management. That's a big drive for GE is that internal progression for people that know what's going on inside of a wind turbine to really spread that knowledge and at the end of the day keep everybody safe and keep the business profitable at the same time.
SPEAKER_03So it sounds like for new entry-level technicians, being part of GE Renewable Energy allows for career progression and advancement and the development of new skills. The way that both Colby and Bryant described their own journeys, I didn't know that GE Renewable Energy also has a tuition reimbursement program that can support your technicians and continuing with their education.
SPEAKER_02That way we're all always growing as a team.
SPEAKER_03We grow individually, but we also grow as a team. And that sounds like an outstanding strategy. And something I heard from Brian and Colby too, as it relates to job quality, is they both said this was the first job they'd had that had full benefits. Exactly.
SPEAKER_02That is a huge part of the reason a lot of workers stick out with GE, is just those quality benefits on top of competitive pay.
SPEAKER_03Right. I wanted to ask, as this podcast really focuses on students and workers, from your vantage point, how are you able to incorporate worker voice, meaning the ideas of employees like Colby, into your business planning and into any policy development at the local or regional level?
SPEAKER_02So worker voice is fully integrated into GE's culture on site and in the broader organization. The workers really drive our team's safety culture, and they're also the same ones building our planned and unplanned work standards. So they're directly impacting the business overall. A new hire is going to see something that some of the seasoned guys may miss. They're going to find some of the small things that pose a hazard, and they're the ones that help management drive that change and solve a lot of the problems.
SPEAKER_03That's awesome to hear. And I'm curious how that happens. So that example of a new technician with fresh eyes that may identify or flag things, is there a process? Is that just informally they share it in their observations and team meetings, or is there more formality to that and how that gets elevated?
SPEAKER_02It all starts with that first onboarding when they become a part of GE that sets the stage and helps them to feel comfortable and know that if they see something, we're gonna correct an issue and their teammates are gonna support them in anything that we find or that may happen. But we have a program that allows the technician to input concern reports over their phone and or just discuss over the phone with our EHS team or our management team.
SPEAKER_03Appreciate that too. So I wanted to come back to the college and ask if there are other ways that Columbia Gorge Community College and for that matter other community colleges could be strong educational and workforce partners to organizations like GE Renewable Energy to support hiring, training, and retention needs of different sized businesses across the state.
SPEAKER_02I believe CGCC is really doing the right thing currently just by hosting those advisory meetings with all of the local industry and getting that feedback. I think if all community colleges stayed in contact with their students' potential employers, there'd be far less job opening for skilled labor. I don't know if if this piece is fully missing or not, but it definitely would help if a lot of community colleges start recruiting even out of high schools in their local areas to get young students interested in the technology fields early and then impacting their communities at an even faster rate.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I think that's a great suggestion. And back to your own journey through running start, it becomes more cost effective too, because students in a running start type program or any sort of dual enrollment program are going to have credits while they're still in high school that reduce the time and credits they would need to get a college certificate or a degree. Yes, yes. It's huge.
SPEAKER_02And I think it could be really successful if they have a good recruiting campaign. I know there's a lot of students that see the programs, but they don't necessarily see how much CGCC or a community college really does have that leverage within the industries to get directly to an organization like GE.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and I wondered if the college is collaborating with high schools to promote the program and careers. Is that something where you or someone on the leadership team at GE Renewable Energy could also then engage the same way you described site visits to the college, but then site visits to regional high schools? So building awareness from the industry perspective in addition to the college. Yes, I think you nailed it there.
SPEAKER_02If we were able to get something where one of GE's leaders goes with a representative from the college and speaks at these high schools, I think that could really bring interest into the technical field.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and then the students can hear more descriptively of what that job is and talk to folks that are workers in those occupations. So, Tyrell, is there anything else as we wrap up that you'd like to share as part of this conversation and the connections with GE Renewable Energy and Columbia Gorge Community College?
SPEAKER_02No, we've covered most of what I have. I really appreciate the opportunity to speak to you here, and I'm thankful that Brian and Colby had such great things to say about CGCC and General Electric.
SPEAKER_03Thank you for taking the time and sharing more in your leadership role. That's super informative, the ways you described how your team members are supported in mentorship, and then also encouraging workers to bring their voice and identify where things could be improved. And that all is helpful in understanding the culture of GE renewable energy out there in the gorge. So just want to thank you for having this conversation and again being a strong advocate yourself for that partnership with the college. Yeah, thank you, Mark. I'd like to welcome my next guest to the podcast, the president of Columbia Gorge Community College, Dr. Marta Yura Cronin. Welcome, Dr. Cronin to the podcast today.
SPEAKER_01Thanks, Mark. I'm happy to be here.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, well, thank you for making the time. And I wanted to start by asking if you could share a bit about Columbia Gorge Community College for any listeners that aren't as familiar with the institution.
SPEAKER_01Sure. So we are a rural institution. We're the third smallest of the 17 community colleges in the state. And we serve a bi-state region, you know, Washington and Oregon, because we're right on the on the Columbia River of about roughly the size of Massachusetts. So it's a fairly large service area. We are a Hispanic serving institution with just over 30% of our students identifying as Hispanic. And we have a healthy mix of traditional and non-traditional students, you know, kids who come right out of high school and those who are coming back for career changes, and also of transfer and non-transfer students. So we are located in the beautiful Columbia Gorge region. If you've never been here, it's a place you want to come to. It's absolutely beautiful.
SPEAKER_03Well, thank you for that. And it is gorgeous and appreciate that summary. I didn't realize that Columbia Gorge is a Hispanic serving institution and that higher percent of Latinx students. So that's helpful to know.
SPEAKER_05Yes.
SPEAKER_03So I wanted to jump right in and ask if you had the chance to listen into the interview that I had with two Columbia Gorge Community College graduates, Colby Williamson and Brian Irwin from the Electro Mechanical Technician Program, who are now working at GE Renewable Energy. If you did what your overall reactions were to my conversation with them.
SPEAKER_01I did, and they had some great things to say. And you know, we like to always hear the good, the bad, and the ugly, but mostly what they had to say was really good, which is wonderful. They're both career changers, which is not uncommon of students we see coming to us into these types of programs. And what really struck me too is that they both stressed the fact about hands-on, especially hands-on with employers who will potentially hire them later on when they graduate. That is really key because of establishing those relationships early on while they're getting that hands-on real world experience, which could lead them to an employment right after they graduate. So that I thought was really important. And I think it's one of the things that we do pretty well. And also Brian said that he needed to change career to be able to really support his family, which is also key to a lot of the things that we do. We have those programs where people are earning high wages and they can just go into the program, go into the career fairly quickly. And so it really is serving a very strong purpose here in the region. Brian also said, which I thought was really cool, was that it's really important that our community colleges stay healthy. And that is so important. And we'll talk a little bit more about that when we talk about future ready Oregon. But absolutely, we're an anchor in the Dalles, which is where we're located. We're one of the key institutions, key entities here that support the economy of the region and support the community in so many ways. Life here would be very different. And he stated that we're the college, not in the Dalles.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, thanks for sharing those reflections to hear two returning students, as you said, speak so positively towards the program and the college was outstanding and a testament to the institution and the quality of education and the connection to good jobs, as they both described.
SPEAKER_01Yes, we'd love to hear the success stories. They are wonderful.
SPEAKER_03Building on that, I wanted to ask if there's anything you heard that highlighted work that CGCC is doing well to prepare and support students toward quality jobs.
SPEAKER_01So the connections to the industry partners, which I mentioned before, are super important. It's like that in every program. So we have advisory groups with industry partners, and a lot of these people represent the entities where our students go to work after they graduate. So that is really clear. Instructors are very keyed into our local partners. And also one of them mentioned the fact that it used to be a renewable energy program initially when it started years ago to specifically repair the wind turbines, but then it became an electromechanical program because we started talking to our industry partners in other industries, like the drone industry. And they were telling us that they were hiring people coming out of Columbia Gorge. So we're like, which program? They're like, you know, renewable energy. What are the connections between renewable energy and drone? And then we kind of morphed the program a little bit, worked on the curriculum, and made it an electromechanical program, which means that now they can be employed in other industries. It's not specific just to renewable energy. That I think is something that we're doing well. I'm glad that they noticed that as students.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and that's a great illustration of how a college like Columbia Gorge Community College can redesign a program to meet the needs of a changing industry. And it also then demonstrates the students have transferable skills. So if for some reason wind technology dipped down or there just weren't the same jobs or something shifted, they've got those skills and could move into drone technology or another field.
SPEAKER_01It's really important that we remain relevant to what is needed in the industry, even if it's small changes that. open up other opportunities. But if we're not remaining relevant, we're not serving our community or our students for that matter.
SPEAKER_03Right. And that takes a lot of active listening with your advisory to really understand and dig deeper.
SPEAKER_01So let me put a plug-in now for people to serve on advisory committees because they are key to what we do. These people, I know they have long work days, but they take the time to meet with us and tell us what's working, what they feel they need, how their industry is changing, just again, key to what it is we do. It's important to remain nimble and keep modifying things so that people can continue to be employed and make some good wages and serve the community in the process.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, absolutely. So I wanted to ask you as we think about quality jobs as the president of the college, what you think makes a quality job for employees there at Columbia Gorge Community College. And then the same question for employers that the college partners with in your region like GE Renewable Energy and what makes a quality job for them.
SPEAKER_01So I think that what makes a quality job for us and our employers is similar in many ways, right? So one of the first things is that you need a good wage or salary. The unfortunate thing is that some people are reliant on that. So they'll take a job that's making a good wage even though it doesn't have all those other things that they want in a quality workplace. And that is a primary drawer of good applicants. So we get a lot of applicants for jobs because we try to be sure to offer a wage that is competitive. So once you're beyond that, that's great. However, once they're in a lot of people especially people from diverse groups have trouble staying where they come to because they don't feel like they belong right so employees need to feel like they're valued. They need to feel like their voice counts they need to have a say in things even though they're not the final decision makers. But what they think and how they feel really matters and they need to know that. Also they do have to have an opportunity to contribute not just with what they do, but outside of what they do. So at the college I have open forums as an example where you can contribute to the conversation about other places in the college not just your silo your department as an overall college we employ everyone so everyone should have a say in what goes on at the college. So I think that's important to people that they're not there just to perform a mechanical task and go home that they are a person who has feelings who needs to be valued who needs to feel included who needs to have their voice heard. So I think that is why employers lose employees because the number one thing is that they don't feel valued.
SPEAKER_03It's not always about the money necessarily Yeah I appreciate how you've described that I mean wages salary they're always going to be front and center because that's what pays the bills and provides for families and at the same time that culture of belonging and inviting employees to share their thoughts, their opinions, their observations, their solutions and that fits very well with this podcast which is about elevating student voices and worker voices and beyond just someone's day job individuals can and many times are interested in seeing the bigger picture and may have expertise in other areas or observations and ideas that can enhance the work.
SPEAKER_01Right. And that's a great opportunity to see what else they can bring to the table. I have plenty of people at the college here that have elevated in their position moved to different areas of the college because they had strengths that we did not know that they had. And I think Brian that happened to Brian at his place when he first started at GE because he started in Kobe's position if I didn't misinterpret the interview and he moved up they saw the potential provide the support provide the training give people the opportunity to grow within your organization especially if they're good employees you don't want to lose them because you're not allowing them that growth absolutely and that upskilling career progression and career advancement is also an element of job quality absolutely as leaders our responsibility is to develop those people who report to us give them opportunities for advancement even if that sometimes means we lose them as employees but it's their personal growth and that's that's a great thing.
SPEAKER_03Yeah for sure. So just staying on job quality I wanted to ask you Dr. Cronin how does the work on job quality that we've been discussing connect with any of the colleges work focused on equity and in particular racial equity.
SPEAKER_01As an HSI we have been growing these past four years kind of morphing into really that label what does it mean to be an HSI right when we first became an HSI we were more like a Hispanic enrolling institution, not so much a Hispanic serving institution. So we've changed in the way that we provide services. Students have created student clubs that really helps everyone feel involved and included and what's interesting is that that club they were in the paper in an article once and we've had employers reach out to us just interest in becoming aligned because they want to be sure that they are supporting our students in the way that they need to support them based on equity what is their gender or their race or whatever the case might be. So we're catching the attention of employers the club is the reporter came to me and I said you need to talk to the students who started this club. They're the ones who can tell you what drove it was it experiences out in the field what was it that made them say hey we need this here and we need to start at the college prior to them getting to the employers and so recently the college also we've hired a new diversity officer, a new trainer specifically to work with our community entities, our industry partners and our students on all issues related to equity. You know, what is it that when they go and they do clinical experience out in the field, what kind of obstacles did they encounter how do we surpass those or how do we overcome those obstacles or work together to really create a better place inside the college and outside the college for our students that's outstanding.
SPEAKER_03And to me the way you describe that it illustrates that while all organizations including colleges have a lot more work and growth in the huge area of equity and inclusion at the same time colleges have been doing some of this work as a Hispanic serving, not just Hispanic enrolled, but as a Hispanic serving institution, the student grassroots club and then having this diversity officer there's some expertise and understanding that the college has and to bring that out to your community to employers that hopefully have the same interest but may not have the same knowledge or understanding and are open but don't know how to proceed or where to begin. So that's an awesome way to build those partnerships because then it's going to be in support of students who are stepping into those employers and those cultures and knowing that the college has a connection and has supported those employers. And it may also draw in other employers that may not be yet on advisories that are like wait we're interested in that how do we get connected that's a really interesting way to support the broader community.
SPEAKER_01I found that there's a lot of great intentions but there's not always the knowledge like you said or there's a lack of understanding sometimes on how to work with this. So I think it's promising that the community members are getting involved with this.
SPEAKER_03Yeah and it's a place where the college can lead when employers come and say potentially we can't find talent we want to diversify our workforce without maybe seeing they may have certain biases or they may have restrictions in their minimum qualifications or their hiring recruitment practices that they don't even see and the college can support them in that or maybe it's a conversation on wages or culture or mentoring as we've talked about.
SPEAKER_05Yes.
SPEAKER_03So relatedly I wanted to talk about recent policy development in our state here and know that our legislature in Oregon passed a significant workforce bill in this last session and wanted to ask how can this recent Future ready Oregon 2022 bill support better job quality for Columbia Gorge community college students and regional employers?
SPEAKER_01So I think that the passing of Future Ready Oregon just really recognizes the important role that community colleges play in supporting the economy and promoting its growth. I venture to say that there's not a single community college in this country that can say that there's no program that they feel that they need or that the region needs, but they can't afford it. They can't put it into place. They don't have the infrastructure they don't have the resources to make it happen. So Future Ready Organ is going to allow us to venture into some of these areas that we've been trying to but have lacked the infrastructure or the money, basically the resources in general to be able to do that. So at Columbia Gorge, it's also going to help us strengthen the pipeline start earlier, you know, with these high school students, potentially GED students, students who dropped out of high school start as early as possible bringing them into that pipeline and providing all the supports to make sure that they can reach that goal that they came to us for. And these are things that we maybe would not have been able to do to that degree without this additional funding. As it is, we've already got our eye on three new programs so I think that it's going to make a really big difference because we'd love to be everything to everyone in the community though we know that that's not possible. We lack the ability to do that. So this will help us with that. And really it's going to help the economy in the region because there are industries that are struggling to find workers. And if we can provide those directly to them then that would make all the difference in their success and in the success of our students and the local economy.
SPEAKER_03Yeah definitely and knowing for workforce training even if it's non-credit or a career technical ed program they can be costly for a new program with equipment, tools, lab space and then faculty teaching the classes and hiring and bringing them in from industry. And as you described strengthening that pipeline one thing that I heard from Tyrell Quantrell who's the senior services manager Brian supervisor at GE Renewable Energy, who's also a grad of Columbia Gorge, he talked about his way into the program back in the day was through a running start program for high school students taking community college classes and that piqued his interest and he was very passionate about that and thinking about the traditional pipeline or traditional students coming through. But then I also really appreciate your talk of GED ESOL students because we do have a lot of adults in communities across the state that that's their starting point. They may not have a high school equivalency they may need to improve their English language skills and if there are ways to couple those foundational skills with the technical skills in a program it's going to accelerate that path to get those individuals into jobs and careers.
SPEAKER_01Yeah it's all about changing the dialogue. When those GED students come what's your goal to pass the GED? That's not really your goal. What is your ultimate goal? Why do you want to pass that GED? Oh, so that I can go into this program. Then that is what we are focusing on. So I think if we just start to change that mindset earlier, if we have the resources to be able to do that, then I think that it's going to make all the difference.
SPEAKER_03Yeah we're really fortunate in Oregon that our adult ed federal we owe a title two dollars are connected and it flow through the colleges. In other states it's its own entity it might be a nonprofit it might be a K to 12 system but having those programs within our community colleges it's just maybe down the hallway or in another building where you can learn about electromechanical technician or healthcare programs or business programs or you name it. It is a wonderful way to build that exposure of careers and then the academic pathways towards those jobs and careers. Yes everything's on this campus as far as career and alignment and all that there's so many resources that we can just walk them over to so I wanted to come back to a topic we talked about as you were describing job quality of employees both at the college and with your employer partners their voice is counting. I just wanted to ask some ways that Columbia Gorge Community College is elevating student voices and particularly adult students to shape policies, practice and partnerships like the one with GE renewable energy that lead to equitable student success.
SPEAKER_01Yeah so our students really guide a lot of what we do. So when we came back to in person we asked the students so what do you need you know tell us about how you learn best you know what times do you want students are shaping how and when they are learning here on campus. We're making more of an effort to include student stories. How did you get started here? You know where are you going? Where are you now in this process? When we became a guided pathway school we involved student voices in discussing what does a first year experience look like for students? What do you feel you need as a second year student? What could you have used your first year here to help you make the first year easier to transition from high school or come into the college these are all things that we do on a regular basis. And I welcome students to just tell me I sit in the cafe. Sometimes I'll walk in the cafe sit at a table with students and say, how's it going? What do you like the best about being here? Have you had any issues? What do you think we could change to make it better for you? Sometimes people don't want to hear that but sometimes I think that hearing the negative is more important than hearing the positive because that's how we keep going on this cycle of continuous improvement. No matter how good we are we could always be better. So people need to be open and honest and tell us what the problems are so that we can fix them.
SPEAKER_03Yeah that's well stated. And I think that constructive feedback ensures that our institutions are student ready. That's really nice to hear the variety of ways that the institution is doing that.
SPEAKER_01That's the beauty of being an open access institution, right? You get everyone from all walks of life with all types of experiences but their stories are powerful. Right. And the transformation that they can undergo while they're here can be incredible. I remember Colby said that he came from across the country to be part of this program and that it has transformed his life. There's just no more powerful statement than that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah 100% and I think that's a good way to wrap up as you pulled in Colby's story the two graduates Colby and Brian I just wanted to ask if there's anything else that you'd like to share for this podcast episode.
SPEAKER_01So other than the beautiful region of coming to the gorge, right? The hiking, the skiing, the kiteboarding, we've recently opened up housing, a residence hall. So we are able to really draw students from all over the place. So if anyone wants to come and be in renewable energy or work in the drone industry, we have options for them here on campus. So we built that entirely during the pandemic. We're very proud of it and it's a great place for students to come learn, live and learn.
SPEAKER_03Thanks for sharing that I didn't realize that there is student housing now available and just want to say Dr. Cronin I just appreciate you taking the time for this interview and to hear your reflections from the conversation I had with Colby and Brian and learning more about Columbia Gorge Community College and your work out in the community with employers and the connection to job quality and also how that is supported within the institution itself.
SPEAKER_01Well thank you for the opportunity to share all the great things that are happening in the gorge.
SPEAKER_03Thank you very much. Well that'll do it for this episode of the All In Student Pathway Sport Podcast traveling to the Columbia River Gorge to highlight graduates of Columbia Gorge Community College in a dynamic partnership with GE Renewable Energy. This is the host Mark Goldberg and we will be back soon with the next episode believe we're heading to the Oregon coast to speak with a student at one of the colleges out there and we'll see you then. Thanks