Business Consortia

Job Growers Incorporated Resources Available to Businesses

Job Growers Incorporated, along with Business Oregon, the McMinnville Economic Development Partnership and the Salem Economic Development Corporation (SEDCOR), support five consortia, Mid-Valley High Performance, Metals, Secondary Woods, Food Processors and the Mid-Valley Staffing Association. Bringing together businesses to work in consortia better leverages scarce resources, reduces workforce training costs and creates coordinated solutions to workforce and economic development issues. Working together contributes to the competitiveness of the whole region rather than just one company.

Consortia also provide a network for learning exchange opportunities. Companies working together in a consortium enhance competitiveness across an industry sector and help grow and retain a healthy economy.

All events, classes and training sponsored by each of the consortia are offered at no cost or low cost to consortia members. Membership in the consortia is open to all businesses in Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties.

The Mid-Willamette Food Processors Consortium began in 2002 and its goal is to promote the growth and success of the food processing industry through sharing best practices and improving workforce knowledge, skills and abilities. Leadership development, technical skills training and English as a second language have also been training priorities. The consortium meets monthly.

The Mid-Willamette High Performance Consortium began in 2006 with the purpose of supporting the implementation of lean in manufacturing businesses throughout the region. The purpose expanded to supporting the implementation of lean in any type of business that benefited from the training. The consortium has quarterly meetings and a calendar of trainings, learning tours, set-up reduction exercises, forums with lean experts such as OMEP, Gary Conner and Mike Rother and lean certification workshops.

The Mid-Willamette Metals Consortium began in 2005 with the purpose of increasing the skills of the current and future workforce, raising the profile of the industry at the local and state level, increasing awareness of the resources available to address industry needs and advocating for policies and reforms that benefit the industry. The consortium meets monthly and schedules various trainings to benefit members throughout the year.

An entry level credential (ELC) has been developed by the companies in the metals consortium. The credential is awarded to those who successfully complete a short intensive program to equip them with the basic skills to succeed in entry level jobs in the metals industry.

The Mid-Willamette Secondary Woods Consortium began in 2007 and its mission is to promote long term and sustainable solutions to industry needs so that secondary woods remains a thriving and high performing sector with a highly skilled workforce. The consortium provides a forum for networking, collaboration and learning. It also provides resources to companies to help them grow and stay profitable and improve workforce knowledge, skills and abilities through outreach and training.

The consortium has created an entry level credential to assist in its goal of growing a skilled and work-ready pipeline of workers. The consortium meets monthly.

The Mid-Valley Staffing Association began in 2002 and its mission is to develop partnerships, provide a forum for sharing best practices, networking, collaborating and promoting the value of the Staffing Association as a workforce partner. The consortium adopted a Code of Ethics in 2009 and in order to be a member of the consortium, a staffing agency must agree to conduct their business under the Code. The consortium meets quarterly.