News

Below are a few of the new titles added to the library collection in the last few weeks.

The food and beverage industry is a vital employer in the Columbia Gorge region, with hundreds of jobs ranging from culinary arts and food processing to hospitality, wineries, breweries and cider-makers.

As the region’s largest provider of education and workforce training, Columbia Gorge Community College is partnering with the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) and Oregon Investment Board (OIB) to identify unmet skills in this far-reaching industry sector.

Attending college can be a challenge. Personal finance, time management, language barriers and life’s everyday stresses sometimes lead students to drop classes or quit college entirely.

That’s where Learning Communities help make a crucial difference, as students discover they don’t have to face these challenges alone.

One of the fastest-growing job openings in the Columbia Gorge is for medical assistants, and people who would like to learn more are invited to contact Columbia Gorge Community College.

The college launched its medical assisting program in 2007. This is a one-year certificate leading directly to employment in the field with an historical job placement rate of 82 percent.

A proposed $10.2 million General Fund budget for Columbia Gorge Community College’s 2018-19 fiscal year will be considered by the college’s board of education June 12 following recommendation for approval by budget committee members in May.

The budget includes proposed investments to advance CGCC's technology infrastructure and initiatives to expand enrollment, including distance education. The budget also includes contingency funding.

Dr. Ashley Thompson, Oregon State University Extension’s new Horticulture Extension Field Faculty member, has arrived in the Columbia Gorge.

OSU Extension’s Columbia Gorge operations are co-located on The Dalles Campus of Columbia Gorge Community College, in Building 2.

Are you interested in learning more about the Columbia Gorge Community College Nursing program?  Upcoming nursing admissions information sessions will describe the Associate of Applied Science Nursing degree program, admissions criteria, and application process.  Sessions are for prospective, new and continuing students.

Sessions are held at The Dalles and Hood River-Indian Creek campuses through the summer. We highly encourage all students to come to an information session prior to requesting an individual appointment, since many questions may be addressed during the course of the session. The sessions begin promptly at the times indicated and will not be repeated, so please allow enough time for travel and parking.

Participants, volunteers and sponsors of Columbia Gorge Community College Foundation’s first dinner and live auction fundraiser, “Saddle Up and Celebrate,” helped raise more than $14,000 this spring for the foundation’s unrestricted fund, which supports the area of greatest need such as student scholarships.

The new event featured line dance lessons, dessert and live auctions, a prime rib buffet, and fun for the entire family on April 26 at the Ft. Dalles Readiness Center when Columbia Gorge Community College Foundation hosted Saddle Up and Celebrate.

There are many reasons to attend Columbia Gorge Community College. We have great instructors, the cost is much less than a four year school, we have an active student body, we are located in a beautiful area. The list goes on, but the main reason for most of us is a practical one, to acquire an education that will result in a good paying job. CGCC’s Nursing and Health Occupations programs are exceptional, and jobs are waiting for those who complete them. There is a shortage of Registered Nurses right now, and according to Dr. Beverly Malone that statistic isn’t changing anytime soon. “With upcoming RN retirements amidst today’s nursing shortage, it is expected that our nation will need 1.13 million new RNs by 2022. Plus, there will be a need for 35 percent more faculty members to meet the demand for nurses.” This translates into being able to find a job locally or anywhere in the country should you need to relocate. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook states: “Employment of registered nurses is expected to grow 16 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations. Growth will occur for a number of reasons, including an increase emphasis on preventive care; growing rates of chronic conditions, such as diabetes and obesity; and demand for healthcare services from the baby-boom population, as they live longer and more active lives.”