By Anna Del Savio

Construction is moving along on the Portland Community College OMIC Training Facility in Scappoose.

Director Andrew Lattanner said that the facility is still on track for a partial opening in the winter, with a full opening expected in spring 2021.

As part of the Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center, the long-awaited PCC facility will offer training programs and facilitate apprenticeships in manufacturing.

"Obviously these are uncertain times so everyone has had to make adjustments," Lattanner said. "But with the support of our construction crews and contractors and the city, we've been able to make those adjustments and keep things on track."

Lattanner said the OMIC initiative's basic concept has made it well-equipped for the COVID-19 pandemic.

"OMIC is all about innovating and adapting and responding to the needs of our economy, the needs of our workforce... It's important that we continue to think of OMIC as that flexible initiative that's designed to respond."

As manufacturers are innovating and responding to the changing economy and needs of employees and customers, workforce development should too, Lattanner said.

PCC's plans for Columbia County have been focused on manufacturing courses coupled with an apprenticeship program. "How we deliver that and what type of other offerings we have, that could change," Lattanner said. "At this moment, I don't know what those differences look like, but certainly we want to be responsive."

Text credit to Portland Business Tribune.