Managing growth and long-term success as well as steering a course through the rocky shoals of economic downturn require businesses of all sizes to develop a variety of strategies, partnerships, and resources. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce strives to be the type of partner and resource that the state's small- to medium-sized businesses and large corporations can count on to help them achieve their goals and objectives no matter what the economic climate may be.

Reaching those goals and objectives depends in large part on how well a business manages its workforce. Commerce provides a variety of resources designed to help businesses plan for and manage their employment needs. Commerce also serves as a liaison between business, education, and other state agencies dedicated to ensuring that companies in Oklahoma have a well-trained and productive workforce pool from which to draw. This section covers the workforce and training services, resources, partnerships, and alliances available to the Oklahoma business community for the following:

WorkKeys and Oklahoma Career Readiness Certificates
Employers need new hires to hit the ground running. They need employees prepared to meet the demands of a global economy. That's what WorkKeys and Oklahoma Career Readiness Certificates are all about--an assessment and certification process that measures skills employers across the nation believe are critical to job success. These skills are valuable to any occupation--skilled or professional--and at any level of education.

Lean Process Improvement
The University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) now offers a new series of courses and certification in Transactional Lean for Administration. Offered through UCO's Center for Strategic Improvement, the courses are open to the public and can be taken one course at a time or in a series for certification.

Designed around administrative services processes, the new series covers the methodology and tools of Lean and how it can be applied to the office setting. Lean represents a systematic approach to removing waste and redundancy so organizations can reduce costs and perform their best.

Strategy & Best Practices
Whether a company conducts improvement initiatives under Baldridge, Six Sigma, ISO, Lean Manufacturing, or Total Quality Management (TQM), quality represents a key yardstick that businesses and customers use to measure success. All of these programs aim to streamline, integrate, and improve operating processes. The end results should be increased efficiency, reduced costs, better products and services, higher productivity, and ultimately--a healthier, more robust bottom line.

Employee Relations
According to the Bureau of National affairs, the cost to recruit, hire, and train new employees can be nine times greater than the cost of retaining your current workforce. Workplace satisfaction, productivity, reduced turnover, and the long-term growth of any business ties directly to good management skills and respectful employee relations.

Expansions
No matter the size of your business or whether you've been around for 20 years or just getting started, finding and hiring qualified employees represents one of the most important parts of any long-term growth strategy. When you hire people, you're investing time, money, training, and trust. If done properly, business booms. If done incorrectly, you lose your investment and potentially much more.

Public/Private Partnerships
Today more than ever, Oklahoma's education system--including K-12, colleges, universities, and technical schools--work hand-in-hand with business and industry to develop curriculum, degree programs, and career pathways that lead to success for students and long-term economic strength for the state.

An analysis of states with healthy economies shows one of the common characteristics is active partnership among government, universities, and private industry. Oklahoma businesses have partnered with various educational institutions for several years in a number of ways to develop a skilled workforce.

Reductions
Because layoffs are often part of weathering a lackluster economy and aren't necessarily permanent, employers who manage their workforce reductions well can expect to improve their organization's image, productivity, profits, and staff morale.

Training & Education
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 cooperates closely with business and industry to offer specialized training, convenient access to educational programs, business development, and technology transfer. These efforts ensure a highly skilled workforce, maximum productivity, and a firm foundation for long-term economic growth.

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