Nov. 29—Clatsop Community College has withdrawn from a grant program that would have helped students with disabilities train and prepare for careers.

The college had applied for and been awarded participation in the Inclusive Career Advancement Program through the Oregon Department of Human Services, a statewide resource intended to help people with disabilities get jobs that match their skills, interests and abilities.

Through the U.S. Department of Education's Disability Innovation Fund, the state's vocational rehabilitation program was one of eight across the nation to be awarded a grant totaling $18.2 million.

Portland Community College was the lead partner, representing 16 community colleges across the state. Clatsop is the only school to withdraw so far, Elizabeth Guzman Arroyo, who leads the community colleges for vocational rehabilitation, said in an email.

The pilot program, which launched this school year and is set to run through 2026, seeks to help participants not just find jobs, but careers in high-demand fields that could offer living wages. Clatsop was set to participate in the program next school year.

Integrating into existing career pathway programs, the grant provides funding for career coaches who support participants with choosing pathways, accessing postsecondary education, obtaining internships and credentials and gaining employment upon completion of studies. The grant would also cover technical assistance and training, and may pay for participants' tuition, books and supplies in some cases.

Peter Williams, the vice president of academic and student affairs at Clatsop Community College, said his predecessor in the student affairs role applied for the grant.

After doing research and speaking with staff members who work with students with disabilities, Williams said he felt that the college's involvement in the program was not feasible or necessary.

"To me, it just didn't really make sense. It was not something I would have pursued," Williams said. "I really debated over it. I hated turning down money, but money is not just always super helpful."

While the program provides funding for staffing, the college would have been responsible for recruiting, hiring and supervising the new hire. Williams pointed to challenges with staffing and a difficult environment for hiring.

"I honestly just don't have that personnel right now," Williams said.

Williams said he feels that the college already provides adequate resources for students with disabilities.

"The biggest issue was when I talked to some of my staff that are familiar with vocational rehab and working with students with disabilities — they were quite adamant there's just a tiny number of students that have those needs and quite frankly, we have quite a bit of resources for students," he said.

The program includes outreach to people from marginalized communities. But Williams said he wasn't convinced that the program would have drawn new students to the college.

"I certainly want to make sure that students with disabilities are getting the support they need," he said. " ... I think when I'm fully staffed, it'll be much more reasonable for me to look at what are the needs of our students, how can we best meet those needs and what grants are out there."