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Umpqua Community College Builds Workforce Confidence Through Industry-Recognized Credentials
From the classroom to the workforce, NC3 certifications help students discover belonging, build confidence, and launch careers.
When Umpqua Community College first partnered with NC3 in 2010, the goal was simple: better align education with workforce needs and provide students with credentials that carried value beyond the classroom.
More than fifteen years later, that partnership continues to transform lives.
As one of five NC3 Leadership Schools in Oregon, Umpqua Community College has built a robust network of workforce education opportunities, offering more than 60 active certification pathways and impacting over 1,000 students through industry-recognized credentials. Today, NC3 certifications are woven throughout the college’s apprenticeship, mechatronics, welding, and automotive programs, helping students graduate with both technical expertise and proof of the skills they’ve mastered.
For Umpqua Community College President and CEO Rachel Pokrandt, the impact extends far beyond certification numbers.
“Reaching one million certifications is more than a milestone,” Pokrandt said. “It represents lives changed, careers launched, and communities strengthened.”
At Umpqua, certifications are embedded in a student-centered learning environment that emphasizes hands-on experiences and a strong sense of belonging. Every credential earned provides students with documented evidence of their abilities while connecting them to nationally recognized industry partners and employers.
“Each certification clearly documents the skills students have mastered and connects them to nationally recognized industry partners, giving graduates a tangible way to demonstrate their capabilities to employers,” Pokrandt said.
See how industry-recognized certifications are changing lives and shaping futures. Hear NC3 Master Instructor Kevin Mathweg share the impact of the NC3 coalition on students, employers, and the Umpqua community.
Creating Clear Pathways to Success
According to Apprenticeship Coordinator and Associate Professor Kevin Mathweg, NC3 certifications have helped strengthen curriculum design while keeping instruction closely aligned with industry expectations.
“NC3 certifications helped bridge the gap between what we teach and what employers are looking for,” Mathweg said.
Over the years, that partnership has expanded into a comprehensive certification ecosystem at Umpqua Community College. Students can earn credentials through leading industry partners such as Snap-on, Greenlee, FESTO, Bahco, Lincoln Electric, Copeland, and Starrett, gaining workforce-ready skills across automotive technology, building trades, advanced manufacturing, welding, HVACR, and apprenticeship pathways.
Since implementing the certifications, programs have become more structured, relevant, and connected to real-world applications. Many certifications are embedded as signature assignments that help measure course and program learning outcomes, ensuring students develop skills that directly support workforce success.
The impact is evident in the classroom.
“When students know they’re working toward a certification that has value beyond the classroom, engagement goes up and confidence follows,” Mathweg explained. “We’re not just asking them to complete assignments. We’re helping them build proof of what they can do.”
Building Confidence Through Credentialing
For many students, earning an industry-recognized credential becomes a defining moment in their educational journey.
Rather than simply listing completed coursework on a résumé, students leave Umpqua with credentials that validate specific skills and competencies. Many certificates include documented course outcomes that students can present during job interviews and internship opportunities as evidence of their abilities.
The result is often a powerful shift in confidence.
“We’ve had students who weren’t initially confident in their abilities start to realize their potential once they began earning certifications,” Mathweg said. “It gives them momentum.”
That momentum helps students transition more successfully into the workforce, armed with credentials that are recognized and trusted by employers across industries.
Celebrating the Next Generation of Skilled Professionals
Umpqua Community College has also embraced NC3 National Signing Day as an opportunity to elevate career and technical education.
By celebrating students entering technical careers, the event helps bring visibility and recognition to pathways that have too often gone unnoticed.
“For Umpqua, it’s about showing students and the community that these pathways matter,” said Mathweg. “We’re celebrating commitments to careers in the same way we celebrate athletics or university transfers.”
The celebration creates excitement and pride, while reinforcing the value of skilled trades and technical careers. More importantly, it helps students feel recognized as they take the next step toward their futures.
Looking Ahead
As workforce needs continue to evolve, Umpqua Community College sees opportunities to expand certifications into additional disciplines while creating stronger connections between engineering, advanced manufacturing, apprenticeship programs, and the building trades.
Through every new initiative, one priority remains unchanged: keeping students at the center of the experience.
“NC3 has helped Umpqua move from simply delivering programs to truly preparing students for the workforce with a strong sense of belonging, skill confidence, and career identity through industry-recognized credentials,” Mathweg said.
Umpqua’s impact extends beyond its campus through the leadership of educators like Mathweg, who continues to support instructors across the NC3 Network while helping shape the future of technical education.
“Kevin Mathweg is a true advocate for NC3 and the impact industry-recognized certifications can have on students, instructors, and communities. His commitment goes well beyond implementing certifications at Umpqua. Kevin serves as a Campus Administrator and NC3 Festo Master Instructor, sharing his expertise with educators across the NC3 Network, and he is now preparing to take the next step by contributing to curriculum development. Umpqua Community College has been an incredible partner in supporting Kevin’s long-standing work with NC3 and giving him the opportunity to help strengthen technical education not only on his own campus, but across the country,” said Lisa Marshall, Senior Program Manager of the Festo Program at NC3.
For Pokrandt, the partnership’s significance is reflected in the people it serves and the opportunities it creates.
“We’re proud to partner with NC3 and our regional industry leaders to strengthen our workforce and expand opportunity in our communities,” she said. “And we look forward to the next million.”
About Umpqua Community College
Nestled in the beautiful North Umpqua River Valley, Umpqua Community College is the regional center for higher education in Douglas County, Oregon. UCC provides high quality college degree programs, workforce development, and community learning opportunities. For more information, please visit us online at umpqua.edu.
Have a story to share for this year’s “One Million and Counting” campaign?
We love highlighting the students and educators shaping the future of career and technical education.
Please send your stories to hannah.peltier@nc3.net.
