1. DOCUMENTING TALENT For Economic Advantage

2. COMMERCE MISSION Increase the quantity and the quality of jobs in Oklahoma.

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

4. BUSINESS IMPACTS Business decisions made due to lack of talent

5. WORKFORCE PLANNING Education Employment Economic Development

6. 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.

7. 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

8. TOOLS KeyTrain ® (curriculum) ACT TM WorkKeys ® (assessment) Applied Mathematics Reading for Information Locating Informatio NCRC

9. 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

10. 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

11. MARKETING TOOL For 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

12. COVERAGE

13. PROCESS STEPS 1.Enlist & organize partners 2.Review data 3.Apply 4.Reach thresholds for certification 5.Renew annually

14. 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.

15. WIIFM?

16. FOR INDIVIDUALS Increases value of their NCRC Recognizes importance of retaining & developing talent

17. FOR EDUCATION/TRAINING Helps achieve mission and goals Deepens relationships with existing partners Product differentiation Builds new partners

18. 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

19. FOR COMMUNITIES & Regions Self determination Recognition for local & regional achievements Product differentiation Additional marketing by Commerce Strengthened regional cooperation

20. Hot off the Presses Oklahoma’s Work Ready Communities 4 th criteria Four Job Profiles per application

21. FOR MORE INFORMATION www.OKcommerce.gov/WorkReady Jeane Burruss, 405-815-5256, Jeane_Burruss@OKcommerce.gov