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Southeast Oklahoma Region Receives Work Ready Certification

For Immediate Release: November 10, 2009

13 Counties Involved in Workforce Effort

November 10, 2009 -- Thirteen Oklahoma counties added an important tool in their job creation kits this week when they received "Work Ready" recognition from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.  

Commerce recognized the 13 Southeastern Oklahoma counties - Atoka, Bryan, Choctaw, Coal, Haskell, Hughes, Johnston, Latimer, LeFlore, McCurtain, McIntosh, Pittsburg, and Pushmataha - as the "Oklahoma’s Premier Work Ready Region" during a ceremony at the Kiamichi Technology Center McCurtain County Campus.

Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce and Tourism Natalie Shirley praised the combined efforts of the regional leaders to become the fourth area in the state to earn Oklahoma Certified Work Ready status and the first multi-county region to earn the distinction.

"The key to economic development in Oklahoma is workforce recruitment, training, and certification," Shirley said. "The Work Ready certification is a tool that will strengthen the pipeline of skilled workers in Oklahoma. It says this region is ready to do business."

Shirley said the new Certified Work Ready Region has 91 school districts within its boundaries.

Managed by the Governor's Council for Workforce & Economic Development and Commerce, the Certified Work Ready program quantifies the skilled workforce available to an existing employer or a new business considering Oklahoma for a new location.

Norma Noble, Oklahoma Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary of Workforce Development, said every state in the nation is competing to attract industry and grow existing businesses.

"What it takes to compete effectively is a skilled and available workforce," Noble said. "Regional partnerships like the one in Southeastern Oklahoma can automatically gain a competitive advantage over non-certified regions because they can quantify a skilled workforce to an existing employer or a new business considering Oklahoma for a new location."

This certification process was a collaborative effort by Commerce, the Kiamichi Technology Centers, the Choctaw Nation Career Development, Southeast Workforce Investment Board, and the Kiamichi Economic Development District of Oklahoma (KEDDO).  

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

To learn more about the Work Ready Certification program or to download an application, please contact the Oklahoma Department of Commerce at OKcommerce.gov/workready or call 800-879-6552.