In 2025, PIVOT partnered with Lane ESD to launch the Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) facilitation project, connecting educators and industry leaders across ten career pathways. By aligning education with workforce needs, the initiative expanded work-based learning opportunities and created stronger pathways from the classroom to future careers.
The PIVOT team developed and facilitated the RACs and provided project management support across CTE programs in Lane County. This process resulted in shared goals and strategies for each pathway, with identified next steps for bringing robust work-based learning to classrooms, which are aligned with industry needs. Additionally, we identified educator professional development, equipment, and supplies needs, with solutions for meeting these needs.
Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in Oregon are required to engage advisory committees to inform their programming. To ease the burden on individual schools, Lane Education Service District (ESD) coordinates these advisory committees at a regional level.
Lane ESD supports 111 CTE programs divided into ten pathways:
- Visual Media Arts
- Business
- Computer Science
- Culinary
- Agriculture
- Natural Resources
- Construction
- Manufacturing
- Health Sciences
- Education
By convening Regional Advisory Councils for each of these pathways, PIVOT connected local employers and industry professionals with educators in order to transfer job skills, professional competencies, and professional networks to students. These RACs help educators meet their need for robust career-connected learning opportunities that support students as they transition to work or higher education.
Across all pathways, we engaged more than 70 industry professionals with each RAC convening in the fall and spring. In response to identified needs, we supported industry-led hiring fairs for the Construction and Education pathways, connecting students in those programs with local businesses hiring for entry-level roles.
In the spring, we launched a CTE Student Voice survey to integrate student perspective into our work. This will inform continuous improvement plans going forward.
The PIVOT team is also supporting the pilot and growth of Lane ESD’s CareerReady Lane initiative, an industry-matchmaking platform which connects students with local professionals for mentorship, career exposure and exploration, as well as work-based learning opportunities.
