where we come together

Collaboration statewide.

what is it?

Prosperity 10,000 is the section of Future Ready Oregon that invests $35 million through Oregon’s 9 Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs). This funding was intended to support communities most impacted by COVID 19, including people of color, low-income individuals and families, women, disconnected youth, front-line workers, rural and frontier residents, and other historically underserved Oregonians. The initiative was designed to enhance the capacity to provide proven services like career coaching, earn-and-learn opportunities, and industry-specific training. Additionally, these funds enabled LWDBs to scale up vital wraparound services, including childcare, housing, transportation, and technology support.

The P10K strategy was to use the LWDB infrastructure to quickly deploy resources to respond to regional workforce challenges exacerbated by the pandemic. LWDBs used existing partner networks to leverage and distribute funds to a variety of organizations, including nonprofit community-based entities, educational institutions, labor organizations, and other workforce service providers. Additional investments were made to complement existing partnerships and expand community and service connections.

where did this originate?

P10K was Initially conceived in 2016 as Prosperity 1,000 – a pilot program to support 1,000 Oregonians living in poverty in East Multnomah County. Despite widespread support for the concept, Prosperity 1,000 failed to pass out of the state Legislature.  In 2022, however, the disparate impact of COVID-19 on historically marginalized and vulnerable Oregonians made it clear that without timely and focused intervention these Oregonians were likely to fall further behind.

highlights

A striking statistic reveals that over 30% of Oregon families in poverty have at least one working member.
P10K fills a funding gap resulting from federal workforce disinvestment in Oregon. It strategically identifies in-demand job sectors and aligns resources with impoverished communities that need additional support.
Oregon’s innovative approach to workforce development by directly sending funding to the nine local boards, as exemplified by the Prosperity 10,000 initiative, has proven that this can break the cycle of poverty, bridge workforce gaps, and create a more equitable and prosperous future for its residents.