From Oklahoma's nationally recognized preschool program to one of the country's highest-ranked workforce training initiatives, the state's training and education network works hand-in-hand with business and industry to offer specialized training, convenient access to educational programs, business development, and technology transfer. These efforts--highlighted below--ensure a highly skilled workforce, maximum productivity, and a firm foundation for long-term economic growth.

Workforce Oklahoma
Workforce Investment Act
Workforce Investment Boards
CareerTech
Oklahoma State System of Higher Education
Training for Industry Program
Job Corps
Useful Links & Commerce Contact Information

Workforce Oklahoma
Workforce Oklahoma, created under the federal Workforce Investment Act, is a training and education development system that partners business leaders, educators, and employment professionals to achieve job growth, employee productivity, and employer satisfaction. This system includes a network of statewide offices -- Workforce Oklahoma Centers -- where employment, education, and training providers integrate a wide range of services that benefit both employers and employees.

There are currently 52 Workforce Oklahoma Centers throughout the state. These centers provide career counseling, skill assessments, training for new and incumbent workers, job search assistance, and referrals to specialized programs and services. The centers provide Oklahoma's employers with pre-screened job applicants, labor market information, tax credit programs, and a variety of training assistance tailored to the needs of individual companies. To find your Workforce Oklahoma center, call 888-840-WORK or visit http://www.workforceok.org/locator.htm.

Workforce Investment Act
The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) requires a new level of cooperation between national and state job training programs and yet allows the states to develop education and training plans that address the specific needs of their employers, employees, and economies. 

Oklahoma's Workforce Investment Areas (WIAs)-Map 

Workforce Investment Boards
Complying with the Workforce Investment Act, Oklahoma created its system of Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) in February 1999. The WIBs advise the governor and are charged with identifying Oklahoma's current and future workforce development needs; coordinating business, education, and government efforts and resources; and implementing programs and services designed to ensure that Oklahoma's employers and employees achieve their full potential.

To find your local WIB representative, use Commerce's Service Provider Database. On the Search Criteria page, enter "Workforce" in the Category field and "WIBs" in the Keywords field. This pulls up contact information for WIBs around the state.

CareerTech
The Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education provides leadership, resources, and assures standards of excellence for a comprehensive statewide system of career and technology education. The CareerTech system offers programs and services in 29 technology center districts operating on 56 campuses, 398 comprehensive school districts, 25 skill centers, and three juvenile facilities. CareerTech is based in Stillwater, OK.

A study released in early 2007 shows that CareerTech graduates contribute more than $2 billion to the state's economy.

Governed by the State Board of Career and Technology Education, the State Department of Education, and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, CareerTech's programs and services are designed for companies locating in Oklahoma, existing Oklahoma companies, small businesses poised for growth, or entrepreneurs just getting started.

For example, CareerTech offers customized business and industry training, existing industry training, management and organization development, career development for adults, safety training, small business management and self-employment training, and the award-winning Training for Industry Program (TIP).

CareerTech Services for Business & Industry
List & Locations of Oklahoma's Technology Centers

Oklahoma State System of Higher Education
The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education is comprised of 25 colleges and universities and 10 constituent agencies and one higher education center. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE) coordinates the state system, and each institution is governed by a board of regents.

Known for responding to the needs of Oklahoma's businesses, these higher education institutions work to strengthen Oklahoma's workforce, support community involvement, and conduct critical research and technology transfer initiatives. Through the creation of partnerships, institutions provide ongoing customized training, resources, and services to business and industry, ensuring that employees have the skills to keep businesses strong and on the leading edge.
 
Higher Education Services for Business and Industry  (Coming Soon!)
List & Locations of Oklahoma's Higher Education Institutions

Training for Industry Program
Consistently ranked as one of the nation's leading employee training efforts, Oklahoma's Training for Industry Program (TIP), is a no-cost/low-cost way for companies creating jobs in Oklahoma to get a skilled, focused, and motivated workforce.

Offered through CareerTech, TIP offers a variety of customized services, including job analysis and training needs assessment; instructional materials and development; instructors; training facilities; pre-employment training to demonstrate the skills of potential employees before they're hired; and post-employment technical and team-based training.

Job Corps
Oklahoma's four Job Corps Centers -- Guthrie JCC, Talking Leaves, Treasure Lake, and Tulsa JCC -- provide vocational offerings that serve a variety of industries, including health, computer and advanced technology, food preparation and service, mechanical and maintenance, construction and construction-related trades, automotive, and pharmaceutical. For more information on each of these centers, follow these links:

• Guthrie 
• Talking Leaves 
• Treasure Lake 
• Tulsa

Useful Links:
Oklahoma Colleges and Universities -- Oklahoma's higher education system partners closely with business and industry to offer specialized training, convenient access to educational programs, business development, and technology transfer to ensure a quality workforce and strong economic growth. A study conducted by the National Center for Higher Education Systems noted that 93 percent of Oklahoma's population lives within 30 miles of a college or university campus.

Adult College Student Services -- Attending college for the first time as an adult or returning to continue your education represents a big step. About 42 percent of the students enrolled in Oklahoma's public colleges and universities are 25 or older. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education offer a variety of programs and services for adult students. 

Online College of Oklahoma -- Sponsored by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, this site offers a one-stop information center for distance learning courses and degrees offered by Oklahoma's public colleges and universities.

The Small Business Administration's Office of Entrepreneurial Development (OED) -- OED oversees a network of programs and services that support the training and counseling needs of small businesses throughout the United States. Programs and services include: Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs); Women's Business Centers; and the Small Business Training Network (SBTN), a virtual campus with free training courses, workshops, and knowledge resources.

Contact:
Terry Watson
405-815-5206
800-879-6552