The Opportunities are Endless

Providing high-school students with more options to high-wage jobs in partnership with local manufacturing companies means everyone wins: employers, students, and the Portland economy.

Portland-area anti-poverty non-profit Impact NW provides students with training & connections to important, highly needed, high-wage manufacturing jobs right out of high school. Pathways to Manufacturing, a program of Impact NW, transforms the lives of Portland-area teens who may be at risk of not graduating high school or who are at risk of falling into poverty post-high school.

Finding a Path that Fits

Pathways program graduate Kacy Robinson explains, “College isn’t for everyone. In high school, it was hard for me to figure out what I wanted to do. And then Pathways came along.”

Kacy worked with Pathways to Manufacturing staff on career skills like resume building and interviewing, and manufacturing training with partner organizations like Vigor. A short while later, Kacy was a full-time employee at Vigor.

A Bright Future

“It was a huge, huge difference in my life. If I didn’t have Pathways, I wouldn’t have this opportunity. I wouldn’t be where I’m at in life,” says Kacy.

And as for the future? At age 18, Kacy’s already considering becoming a homeowner in the next few years. “For my future, I plan on staying down here,” says Kacy. “The opportunities are endless… I couldn’t [imagine doing] anything else.”