LBCC Card

LBCC CTE Scholarship

CWCU invests $4,000 in scholarships to support local CTE students

Investing in the Trades = Investing in our Communities

At Central Willamette Credit Union, we believe strong communities are built by people with opportunity—and that includes clear, supported pathways that lead to meaningful careers. We’re proud to share that CWCU has committed $4,000 in scholarships to support the Career Technical Education (CTE) program at Linn-Benton Community College (LBCC).

These scholarship funds will go directly to high school seniors entering trade programs in Fall 2026, helping students take their next step into hands-on, high-demand fields. We’re especially honored to be the only local financial institution currently supporting this effort. It’s a meaningful point of differentiation for CWCU and a reflection of our commitment to showing up where it matters.

Workforce development is more than a buzzword—it’s a long-term community need. Across our region, trade and technical careers are essential to local stability and growth. With this scholarship commitment, we are expanding our focus to support workforce development and trade pathways across the communities we serve.

This initiative is both a celebratory moment and a tangible way to help remove barriers for students who are ready to build their futures—right here at home.

CWCU was proud to attend and support LBCC’s CTE Signing Day and Scholarship Awards on April 16. During this year’s event, 171 high school seniors and incoming students signed letters of intent to commit to one of LBCC’s 18, highly competitive CTE programs.

A few highlights from this year’s group:

  • 35% of participants were women entering traditionally underrepresented fields
  • 30% were first-generation college students
  • 86% came directly from high school, and 14% were adult learners returning to education
  • 85% shared they would not be attending LBCC if it weren’t for the CTE Signing Day program

That last point says it all. This event—and the support behind it—opens doors that otherwise wouldn’t exist for many students.

We’re grateful to partner with LBCC and the LBCC Foundation to support career pathways that strengthen families, local employers, and our region.