DOCUMENTING TALENTFor Economic Advantage

COMMERCE MISSION

Increase the quantity and the quality of jobs in Oklahoma.

SKILLED WORKERS

The availability of skilled workers is the #1 factor in business location decisions.

BUSINESS IMPACTSBusiness decisions made due to lack of talent

0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0 40.0 45.0

Prevented firm from expanding its facilities or business

Prevented firm from developing new products/services

Reduced production output or sales

Lowered overall productivity

Reduced product or service quality

Caused firm to move some operations out of state

WORKFORCE PLANNING

EducationEmploymentEconomic Development

PROGRAM VISION

Oklahoma’s Certified Work Ready Communities are recognized and rewarded for having a sustainable, reliable pipeline that delivers– the right workers with – the right skills at – the right time

to meet the changing needs of employers.

WORK READY COMMUNITIES

• Objective, documented set of standards

• Certification process–quantify the capability of a

significant portion of an area’s workforce

–document High School performance and the commitment to improve it

• Marketing tool for Economic Development–differentiate our product; place-

specific

TOOLS

KeyTrain® (curriculum)

ACTTM WorkKeys® (assessment)• Applied Mathematics• Reading for Information• Locating InformatioNCRC

PROGRAM CRITERIA

• CRC – credentialing achievement• 3% of existing workforce and • 25% of available workforce

• High School Achievement• Commitment to improve Graduation

Rate and • Either 85% graduation rate or 82% of

High School seniors have CRCs

DATA SOURCES for CRITERIA

• # of CRCs awarded, by WF category• OK CRC database

• Graduation Rate• Office of Accountability, OK State Regents for Higher

Ed

• Available Workers• OESC – JobLink – job seekers

• Existing Workers• Bureau of Labor Statistics – Quarterly Workforce

Indicators

MARKETING TOOLFor counties/regions

• Certified areas differentiate themselves from their competitors

• Annual renewal requires sustained commitment

For site selectors & employers• “Seal of Approval”

for Talent Pool Clear Objective Verifiable Current

COVERAGE

PROCESS STEPS

1. Enlist & organize partners2. Review data3. Apply4. Reach thresholds for

certification5. Renew annually

PROGRAM VISION

Oklahoma’s Certified Work Ready Communities are recognized and rewarded for having a sustainable, reliable pipeline that delivers– the right workers with – the right skills at – the right time

to meet the changing needs of employers.

WIIFM?

FOR INDIVIDUALS

• Increases value of their NCRC

• Recognizes importance of retaining & developing talent

FOR EDUCATION/TRAINING

• Helps achieve mission and goals

• Deepens relationships with existing partners

• Product differentiation• Builds new partners

FOR EMPLOYERS

Widening the use of NCRCs:• Quantifies skills of a larger

portion of the labor pool• Diminishes unknowns• Reinforces importance of

retaining & developing talent

FOR COMMUNITIES & Regions• Self determination• Recognition for local & regional

achievements• Product differentiation• Additional marketing by

Commerce• Strengthened regional

cooperation

Hot off the Presses

• Oklahoma’s Work Ready Communities 4th criteria

Four Job Profiles per application

FOR MORE INFORMATION

• www.OKcommerce.gov/WorkReady

• Jeane Burruss, 405-815-5256, Jeane_Burruss@OKcommerce.gov