Accelerate Your Career with the Career Information System
Through the Career and Workplace Enhancement (CWE) Center, all AFSCME Local 328 members have access to the Oregon Career Information System (CIS). Through the Career Information System you can:
Explore different AFSCME 328 jobs at OHSU that may be aligned with our interests, education, and talents.
Look up and search through financial aid and scholarships.
Access many practice tests, test preparation courses, and test preparation electronic books.
Complete career assessments to help us discern what sort of career goals may be a good fit to transition into in the future.
The CIS also links to additional benefits through OHSU and the CIS program.
On CWE Center’s Toolkit SharePoint site there is a wonderful guide How to use the Career Information System that gives detailed instructions about how to access these resources through the CIS.
Within the CIS, there are many areas to explore that relate to career advancement.
The CIS also links to OHSU resources you can learn about including Education Reimbursement.
Education reimbursement options include:
Professional Development Reimbursement Program (PDRP)
The PDRP will reimburse up to $450 toward qualifying professional development expenses.
Free resources to help you pass the GED.
Employee Tuition Benefits Program (ETB).
The ETB reimburses $50/credit hour, up to 8 credits/term/quarter ($400 max / term) for undergraduate studies, and $150/credit hour up to 8 credits/term/quarter ($1200 max / term) for graduate studies.
Please see the Education Reimbursement CWE page for eligibility details.
Colleges and Universities that are eligible for employee tuition reimbursement are:
Eastern Oregon University
Oregon Health & Science University
Oregon Institute of Technology
Oregon State University (including the Cascade Campus in Bend)
Portland State University
Southern Oregon University
University of Oregon
Western Oregon University
Clackamas Community College
Mount Hood Community College
Portland Community College
The PDRP and the ETB can be combined, so $1650 is potentially the maximum reimbursement benefit per term if one works towards an undergraduate or graduate degree. Increasing our knowledge and skill set can benefit ourselves through opening new opportunities for interesting and meaningful work, increasing our earning potential, and at the same time, benefits OHSU through increased institutional knowledge and experience being available to move forward the mission.
Additionally, it may be notable that through AFSCME we can access Union Plus which offers discounted undergraduate programs. Portland State University also has relatively affordable credit hour rates for in-state tuition. AFSCME also lists some scholarship opportunities.
Hopefully your experience at OHSU and with AFSCME can be more than just a job. By earning a living wage and working in work roles that we personally find rewarding, meaningful, and purposeful, those who have not done so already, can potentially transform the work experience into being a career or calling, rather than simply a job that we clock-in and clock-out for. The Oregon Career Information System can help all Local 328 union members succeed and thrive, and hopefully all Local 328 members can know about and utilize the valuable resources that exist.