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On-Site Intern Sponsorship Packet

For Industry Partners Investing in the Columbia County Manufacturing Workforce

Welcome & Program Overview

Manufacturing is not just an industry—it is the backbone of our regional economy, and its future depends on the next generation of skilled workers. Across the Columbia River Gorge, the Portland Metro area, and the broader Pacific Northwest, employers are facing a growing skills gap that will not fill itself. The PCC OMIC Training Center is building that pipeline one student at a time, and we need industry partners like you to make it happen.

The OMIC On-Site Intern Sponsorship Program gives industry partners a direct role in shaping the next generation of manufacturing talent—right here, on the OMIC Training Center floor in Scappoose. Through your sponsorship, you fund a paid internship for a Columbia County high school student who trains alongside OMIC staff in your chosen area of focus. You invest in the student, we manage everything in between, and together we build a regional workforce that reflects the values and standards of your company.

Internships run on the school term calendar, with four cohorts per year—Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer—so your investment in the workforce never stops. Whether you sponsor one term or all four, you are building a continuous talent pipeline that serves your facility and the broader region for years to come.

This is more than philanthropy. It is a strategic talent investment—and when the intern is ready, you’ll be first in line to bring them on board.

Program Goals

  • Talent Pipeline Development: Connect students with manufacturing career pathways and grow the regional skilled trades workforce.
  • Industry-Led Learning: Give students hands-on experience shaped by the expectations of real employers.
  • Workforce Readiness: Develop shop safety, professional accountability, and technical fundamentals before students ever set foot at your facility.
  • Equitable Access: Ensure paid, high-quality career exposure is accessible to all students in Columbia County regardless of background.
  • Community Investment: Strengthen relationships between industry and education to benefit the entire region.

How On-Site Sponsorship Works

When you sponsor an on-site intern through the Columbia Works program, you are directly funding a student’s placement in the OMIC Training Center—our working, industry-grade facility in Scappoose. Here is what that looks like in practice:

  1. Choose Your Focus Area

    Sponsorships are aligned to one of four technical sectors at OMIC:

    • Welding: MIG, TIG, and structural welding fundamentals in a fully equipped welding lab
    • Machining: Manual and CNC machining, blueprint reading, and precision measurement
    • PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers): Industrial automation, electrical fundamentals, and control systems
    • STEAM Center: Cross-disciplinary projects integrating science, technology, engineering, art, and math in applied manufacturing contexts
  2. Your Intern Is Matched and Named in Your Honor

    PCC staff recruit, screen, and match Columbia County students to sponsor opportunities each term. Your sponsored intern will be identified as supported by your company—both internally and in program communications. The relationship starts before they ever shake your hand.

  3. We Handle All Management

    PCC OMIC handles 100% of intern management during their on-site placement. This includes:

    1. Day-to-day supervision and instruction
    2. Safety orientation, PPE, and workplace protocol training
    3. Progress tracking and performance check-ins
    4. Payroll—interns are compensated directly through PCC using your sponsorship dollars
    5. End-of-program evaluation and reporting to you as the sponsor

    You get all the reward of building a relationship with a future hire—without the administrative lift.

  4. Meet, Mentor, and Interview

    As a sponsor, you will have the opportunity to meet your intern, attend a mid-program check-in, and conduct a formal interview before the end of the program. You will receive a summary of their skills, progress, and performance—so if you choose to bring them into a Columbia Works host placement or a direct hire situation, you already know who you are getting.

Why Industry Must Lead the Way

The manufacturing skills gap is not a future problem—it is happening right now. Across Oregon, Southwest Washington, and the greater Columbia River region, employers are struggling to find qualified candidates for skilled trades roles. The answer is not to wait for the pipeline to fill itself. It is to build the pipeline on purpose.

When you sponsor an on-site intern through this program, you are directly investing in the solution. You are telling a Columbia County young person that this industry is worth their time, that your company believes in them, and that there is a future here. That message is powerful—and it makes a difference in who chooses to pursue manufacturing as a career and who stays in the region to do it.

The Pacific Northwest needs industry to show up. PCC OMIC provides the facility, the instructors, the curriculum, and the infrastructure. You provide the purpose.

The Value of Sponsorship

On-site intern sponsorship creates measurable value across every stakeholder in the program:

Sponsorship stakeholders and key benefits
Stakeholder Key Benefits
Industry Partner Shape your future workforce before the job posting exists. Build brand recognition among students and educators. Meet, mentor, and interview your sponsored intern. Receive performance reports. Be first in line for a hire who already knows your industry’s expectations.
Student Earn a paid internship with real industry exposure. Receive hands-on training in welding, machining, PLCs, or the STEAM Center. Gain shop safety certification and work readiness skills. Know that a real company invested in their future—by name.
Education Deepen industry-education partnerships. Provide students with structured, employer-backed experiences that strengthen OMIC’s programming and outcomes. Demonstrate the value of technical education to students, families, and policymakers.
Community Support paid employment for Columbia County youth. Create equitable access to manufacturing careers regardless of a student’s background or connections. Retain local talent in the region by giving students a reason to stay.
Regional Economy Build a sustainable, regionally-rooted manufacturing talent pool across Columbia County, the Columbia River Gorge, and the greater Pacific Northwest. Reduce hiring gaps for employers throughout the region. Strengthen the area’s identity as a hub for advanced manufacturing and skilled trades.

The Pipeline Advantage: From Sponsored Intern to Confident Hire

Here is what makes this program uniquely valuable for employers: by the time your sponsored intern completes their on-site placement at OMIC, they are not starting from scratch. They already have:

  • Shop safety certification and OMIC protocol training
  • Hands-on technical exposure in your sector of focus
  • Demonstrated work ethic, attendance, and accountability
  • An established relationship with your company
  • Confidence in a professional manufacturing environment

If you then choose to bring that student into a host placement at your facility, you can do so knowing they are prepared to work safely at your site—and that they already know who you are. You are not taking a chance on an unknown candidate. You are welcoming someone you helped shape.

That continuity—from sponsored intern to on-site placement to direct hire—is the power of this program done right.

Sponsorship Focus Areas

Sponsors select one of four technical pathways when committing to an on-site internship. Each area reflects a core capability of the OMIC Training Center and a real workforce need in the region.

Welding

Interns receive hands-on training in MIG, TIG, and structural welding techniques using industry-grade equipment. They learn safe operation, joint preparation, bead quality, and the standards that welding professionals are held to every day on the job. Welding remains one of the highest-demand skilled trades in the region, and OMIC-trained welders enter the workforce ready to contribute immediately.

Machining

Interns explore both manual and CNC machining, developing skills in blueprint reading, precision measurement, material handling, and machine operation fundamentals. OMIC’s machining program reflects the expectations of the shop floor—students leave with an understanding of tolerances, tooling, and the disciplined mindset that precision manufacturing demands.

PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers)

As automation becomes central to modern manufacturing, skilled technicians who understand industrial controls are increasingly rare and increasingly valuable. Interns in this track receive an introduction to PLCs, electrical fundamentals, and control system logic—building a foundation for careers in industrial maintenance, automation, and advanced manufacturing systems.

STEAM Center

The STEAM Center offers a cross-disciplinary experience that integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics through applied manufacturing projects. Interns in this track develop creative problem-solving skills, design thinking, and exposure to diverse technical fields—making it an ideal pathway for students still exploring where they fit in the manufacturing world.

What We Ask of You

We keep your involvement intentional without making it burdensome. As an on-site intern sponsor, you are asked to:

  • Commit sponsorship funds to support your intern’s paid placement
  • Designate a point of contact on your team for program communications
  • Participate in a mid-program check-in to meet your sponsored intern
  • Conduct an end-of-program informational interview with your intern
  • Provide brief feedback on the program experience to inform future cohorts

What PCC OMIC Handles

The PCC OMIC Training Center manages the full scope of the on-site internship experience so you can focus on the relationship, not the logistics:

  • Student recruitment, application review, and selection
  • Safety orientation, PPE provisioning, and protocol training
  • Day-to-day supervision and technical instruction
  • Intern payroll—paid through PCC using your sponsorship dollars at or above Oregon minimum wage
  • Progress documentation and sponsor reporting
  • Coordination of your mid-program meeting and end-of-program interview
  • End-of-program evaluation and transition planning if the student continues into a host placement at your facility

Sponsor Recognition

Sponsors who fund an on-site intern will be recognized as active contributors to Columbia County’s workforce future:

  • Named acknowledgment in OMIC newsletters, social media, and program communications
  • Certificate of sponsorship from the PCC OMIC Training Center
  • Invitation to program events, industry panels, and end-of-program celebrations
  • Recognition as a key contributor to Columbia County’s talent development ecosystem
  • Brand visibility with students, educators, and regional stakeholders who care about workforce equity and advanced manufacturing

Program Timeline

Internships run on the school term calendar with four cohorts per year. Each placement lasts the full length of a school term, giving students sustained, meaningful experience—and giving sponsors a consistent, predictable cycle to plan around.

Internship program timeline
Term Approximate Dates Key Milestones
Summer 2026 Jun 22 – Sep 6, 2026 Applications open May 2026; matching finalized by mid-June; orientation and onboarding begins Jun 22; sponsor check-in mid-July; end-of-term interviews and evaluations wrap up by Sep 6
Fall 2026 Sep 21 – Dec 13, 2026 Applications open Aug 2026; matching finalized by mid-Sep; orientation and onboarding begins Sep 21; sponsor check-in late Oct / early Nov; end-of-term interviews and evaluations wrap up by Dec 13
Winter 2027 Jan 4 – Mar 21, 2027 Applications open Nov 2026; matching finalized by late Dec; orientation and onboarding begins Jan 4; sponsor check-in mid-Feb; end-of-term interviews and evaluations wrap up by Mar 21
Spring 2027 Mar 29 – Jun 13, 2027 Applications open Feb 2027; matching finalized by mid-Mar; orientation and onboarding begins Mar 29; sponsor check-in early May; end-of-term interviews and evaluations wrap up by Jun 13

Sponsors may commit to a single term or sponsor across multiple terms in a year. PCC staff will confirm specific cohort dates in advance of each application cycle.

Connect With PCC OMIC Online

Contact

Vero Reeves
CWI Internship Coordinator, PCC OMIC Training Center
veronica.reeves@pcc.edu
pcc.edu/columbiaworks

Natalee Phelps
Program Manager, PCC OMIC Training Center
natalee.phelps@pcc.edu
pcc.edu/omic