Career Pathways
Discover your future
At Columbia Gorge Community College, one of our objectives is to promote economic growth, inclusive prosperity, and a thriving community. Our Career Pathways programs are designed to use practical, hands-on learning to give our students the skills, experience, and discipline needed to succeed in a wide range of rewarding careers.
Whether you're a recent high school graduate or an adult looking to deepen your expertise or learn a new trade, our programs offer a direct route to success in high-demand fields.
Read about the programs we offer, and the next step is to send us a Request for Information form and one of our counselors will make an appointment to talk with you.
Or you can always give us at call at 541-506-6011.
Explore our range of Career Programs:
With a focus on CNC programming and machining, robotics, quality control, and process improvement, the combination of theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience, students gain practical skills that are directly applicable to real-world industry settings. Whether pursuing the Advanced Manufacturing Technology certificate, the Manufacturing certificate, or the Associate of Applied Science Degree, students will acquire the skills and knowledge that is highly sought after by employers in the field.
The starting pay for our graduates is $24-28 per hour at local fabricators and manufacturers like AAA Fab, Ram Hydro, Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, Crane Services, and more.
Are you looking to advance in the realm of advanced manufacturing?
If you're looking for a nonstop flight to a rewarding career, the Aviation Maintenance Technology Program at CGCC will prepare you to land a job in our region that starts at $38 per hour, and the FAA expects 15% growth in certified aircraft mechanic jobs every year for the next 20 years.
Our program is built around preparing students to pass the Airframe and Powerplant exams required for FAA certification.
New students must start in the fall and commit to four straight quarters of instruction (we don't take summers off!), but the benefit is that you'll be ready to take your certification exams and launch into your new career in 18-months rather than the 24-months required at most other programs.
Note: if you have worked as an aircraft technician, that experience could translate into credits!
If you're ready for take off, schedule a time to connect!
The Construction Technology program equips students with the skills and knowledge needed to construct homes and structures from start to finish. Through hands-on experience and problem-based learning, students learn essential techniques such as framing walls, installing siding, drywalling, painting, and finish carpentry.
Even more important, our program builds confidence, leadership skills, project management abilities, and teaches effective communication and teamwork in a simulated real-world construction environment.
Our students not only gain technical expertise but also develop soft skills necessary for success in this field. By focusing interpersonal competencies like leadership and teamwork, you'll be well-prepared to hit the ground running, and our students are lining up jobs starting at $25 per hour the day after they graduate from CGCC!
The Electro-Mechanical Technology (EM-Tech) program offers our students a combination of hands-on, real-world mechanical, electrical, and programming experience, either in a 9-month certificate program or 2-year degree program. Our graduates get great jobs as electrical and mechanical engineers, wind turbine and power plant technicians, UAV operators and service techs for mills, semiconductor plants, breweries, the agriculture industry, for companies right here in the region like Insitu, the US Army Corps of Engineers, HP, and Bonneville Power.
$55 per hour is the median wage at the Army Corps of Engineers, $28 per hour for wind technicians, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics says that the number of wind technician jobs in the US is going to increase 61 percent over the next 10 years.
If you're interested in combining your passion for mechanics and aptitude for electronics into a highly rewarding role in a variety of emerging industries, CGCC's EM-Tech program might be for you.
Whether you're wanting to become a Medical Assistant or EMT, or you're ready to upgrade to Nursing, CGCC's modern and growing programs will help you make a difference in people's lives by preparing you to deliver compassionate and competent care in various healthcare settings.
CGCC is the most affordable options anywhere for high-quality, small class size education, meaning you'll have access to and attention from your instructors. And it shows: our Nursing students have a 100% success rate passing their licensure exams.
Healthcare Pathway students are eligible for CGCC Foundation Scholarships.
New students must start the program fall term, so take your next step today..
The answer is YES
...if you're wondering about financial aid, scholarships, and grants. We have so many resources available to help our students with the stress of college, including an affordable residence hall on campus, free tutoring, and a food pantry.