About Us

Our mission is "to partner with educators to increase the quality and diversity of applicants for the construction professions."  We are dedicated to helping bridge the gap between education and the construction industry and strive to offer engaging opportunities for educators, students and professionals that showcase the academic and job skills necessary for successful building careers.

To offer innovative outreach programs, we partner with more than fifty apprenticeship training centers, community colleges, public agencies, nonprofit agencies, high schools, education service districts, private contractors, as well as architecture and engineering firms.

OBC has earned regional and national recognition for its role as the leading resource for school-to-career construction opportunities in the Pacific Northwest:

• Winner of the Distiguished Service Award from 50 State Directors of Professional/Technical Education
• Used as the model for National Science Foundation Grant Award to Portland Community College and Oregon State University
• Winner of the Business Partner of the Year Award from the Business Education Compact
• Two-time recipient of Paul Emerick Award for Training from the Oregon Columbia Chapter of Associated General Contractors
• Winner of the Construction Industry Users Roundtable Award for Construction Industry Workforce Development
• Dick O'Connor, OBC Executive Director, honored as one of The Daily Journal of Commerce's Rainmakers.

OBC currently offers educators and students opportunities to learn more about construction-related careers through Student Programs, Teacher Workshops, Building Futures Magazine, and the Academy for Architecture, Construction and Engineering (ACE).  These programs ignite the imagination and motivation of students and teachers while dramatically improving the image of the industry.

Please contact us with any questions you may have regarding OBC, its programs or the Academy for Architecture, Construction and Engineering.

Dick O'Connor, Executive Director
503.685.8313
dicko@obcweb.com

Katie Insalaco, Deputy Executive Director
503.597.1715
katie@obcweb.com

Jan Wierima, Program Manager
503.685.8326
jan@obcweb.com