About 1,500 people a week are already pouring though the doors at Portland Community College's new Willow Creek Center for unemployed and underemployed people.
The Hillsboro center officially opens on Friday, but it's been in operation since late December, offering everything from resume tuneups to advanced computer classes, said Jackie Sandquist, director of Workforce Development programs.
Most of the 1,500 visitors are there for the
program, an integration of the Oregon Employment Department and PCC. Among the programs offered are basic math classes to prepare workers for manufacturing jobs that require precise measurement -- 50 percent of those who apply for such jobs don't pass the math test required for employment, Sandquist said. WorkSource also offers financial aid assistance and English language classes.
In addition, PCC is offering classes for emergency medical technicians and certified nursing assistants as well several levels of computer training and community education, including photography, motorcycling and Japanese.
The three-story $25 million orange, black and gray building sits adjacent to the Willow Creek light rail and transit center and is expected to attain the highest rating offered by the
.
Combined with its proximity to mass transit, the building's rooftop solar panels, rainwater harvesting system and use of recycled materials for construction could bring it a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design platinum rating.
A 2008 bond measure combined with state funding paid for construction.
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