13-County Area Earns “Work Ready Certified Region” Status; Commemorative Ceremony Planned Tuesday

Name: Jason McCarty
Phone: 405-815-5320

Location:
Kiamichi Technology Center – McCurtain County Campus
3205 Lincoln Road N.E.
Idabel, OK 74745

Date and time:
November 10
1:30 p.m.

State/Local Personnel in Attendance

• Norma Noble, Deputy Secretary of Commerce for Workforce and Economic Development 
• State Senator Jerry Ellis (D- Valliant)
• State Representative Dennis Bailey (D-Broken Bow)
• Idabel Mayor Jerry Shinn
• Choctaw Nation Assistant Chief Gary Batton
• Regional elected officials -- partner communities, educational institutions and counties (Atoka, Bryan, Choctaw, Coal, Haskell, Hughes, Johnston, Latimer, LeFlore, McCurtain, McIntosh, Pittsburg, and Pushmataha)

Agenda:

• Welcome and Introduction – Idabel Mayor Jerry Shinn 
• Introduction of Certified Work Ready Region Program and presentation from Oklahoma Department of Commerce -- Norma Noble, Deputy Secretary of Commerce for Workforce Commerce and Economic Development
• Video presentation by Dr. Phil Berkenbile, State Director Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education    
• Presentation of Governor’s Commendation
• Remarks
• Closing

Sponsors

• Oklahoma Department of Commerce
• Governor’s Council for Workforce and Economic Development
• Oklahoma Employment Security Commission
• Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

 Work Ready Background
Oklahoma’s Certified Work Ready Communities project is an innovative program that encourages self-defined communities to link workforce and economic development.  

To ensure that Oklahoma offers industry the talent needed to compete, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and the Governor's Council for Workforce & Economic Development offer the Certified Work Ready Communities program.

Work Ready Communities expands the state's skills assessment and certification effort currently offered to individual employees, job seekers, and employers through the Career Readiness Certificate program (CRC).

Eligibility
To be certified Work Ready, the community must meet the following requirements:

Workforce achievement:

• 3% of the existing workforce must be credentialed with CRCs; and
• 25% of the available workforce must be credentialed with CRCs;

High School achievement:

• A community commitment to improve the high school graduation rate; and
• At least 82% high school graduation rate; or
• At least 82% of high school seniors must earn a CRC.

Southeast Oklahoma Region Background
The 13 counties -- Atoka, Bryan, Choctaw, Coal, Haskell, Hughes, Johnston, Latimer, LeFlore, McCurtain, McIntosh, Pittsburg, and Pushmataha -- in the Southeast region have met all of the criteria to become Work Ready. It is the fourth area in the state to earn Oklahoma Certified Work Ready Community status and the first multi-county region.

Work Ready Region Application:
Work Ready Communities can be individual communities or counties, groups of contiguous cities and counties, or a regional partnership. However the "community" defines itself, certain criteria must be met. Certification is reviewed annually.

To download an application, go to OKcommerce.gov/workready or call  800-879-6552.