WORKforce development

Purpose

To promote policy designed to more effectively provide the business community with a high quality and skilled workforce.   

2021 Policy Positions

• Create incentives for hiring more STEM and critical occupation related educators in postsecondary education to meet workforce needs and to be comparable with the private sector
• Prioritize education funding and student recruitment efforts for programs and reforms designed to address current and future Oklahoma workforce needs in STEM and other critical occupations
• Support initiatives that encourage businesses to participate in career pathways or career exploration programs that are specific to the current and future needs of Oklahoma's economy
• Increase access and support to degree and industry endorsed skills certificate programs tied to critical occupations and support employer incentives for work-based learning programs such as apprenticeships and internships
• Support and expand access to higher education and Career Tech programs through Oklahoman's Promise and maintain its continued funding
• Promote collaboration among education, workforce partners and the private sector to strengthen Oklahoma's workforce pipeline and state and regional sector strategies to meet the needs of critical occupations by aligning their courses and curricula with industry-identified needs and skills
• Support research programs that will attract and leverage new federal and private funding opportunities, commercialize new technologies and create jobs needed to be globally competitive in an innovation economy
• Support strategies that address job training, placement and stability for justice involved individuals and incentivize second chance employers
• Support strategies that address job training, placement and stability for justice involved individuals and incentivize second chance employers
• Support the expansion of Federal Pell Grant opportunities to apply toward all technology programs and qualified skilled technical workforce certificate
• Encourage and promote the use of dislocated worker grans to assist with retaining and upskilling of all individuals seeking employment in critical occupations.