Cascadia Technical Academy’s pre-electrical program to train electricians will soon come to the Port of Ridgefield following a recent lease agreement between Evergreen Public Schools (EPS) and the port.
EPS will lease a 9,500-square-foot space in the Wisdom Ridge Business Park, 5645 S. 11th St., Ridgefield, which will house the expansion of Cascadia Technical Academy’s pre-electrical program, a news release by the Port of Ridgefield stated.
“We are thrilled to welcome Cascadia Technical Academy to Ridgefield,” Port CEO Randy Mueller said in the release. “Their programs benefit students, families and communities across Clark County and are aligned with the Port’s mission of job creation and economic benefit.”
EPS’s Cascadia Technical Academy partners with school districts across Clark County to offer high school juniors and seniors tuition-free career and technical education for various high-demand jobs. Participants receive college preparation and earn various credits, licenses and certificates in the program, the news release stated.
Cascadia Technical Academy currently operates at Woodland Middle School. With the Wisdom Ridge expansion, the program plans to train about 100 students in its pre-electrical program starting in the fall of 2025, the release stated.
“Moving our pre-electrical program to the Port of Ridgefield will allow us to almost double our current program enrollment to about 100 students,” academy director Joan Huston said in the release. “Our industry partners have made it clear that we need more electricians in our community, and we are excited that more of our students will be prepared to fill that need,”
To learn more about Cascadia Technical Academy, visit cascadiatechnicalacademy.org.