A monthly e-newsletter providing updates on progress from the Governor's Council for Workforce and Economic Development. The newsletter features news, tools and resources available to families, educators, workforce professionals, and businesses to assist with career management and planning, workforce development, and business growth.
April 4, 2008 - Governor's Council
May 21-23, 2008 - Grow Oklahoma Partners Conference
June 6, 2008 - Governor's Council
July 22, 2008 -- Tulsa is No. 9 in a new list of the country's best real estate bargain markets, according to MSN Real Estate.
MSN describes Tulsa as a place "where the South meets the American West, mixing genteel hospitality with rugged ambitions and terrain. It's a center for the energy industry, which means the economy is hopping."
MSN also cites Tulsa high-tech, banking, and telecommunications industries as good places for employment. The website also says Tulsa is a good place to raise a family, with "appealing and affordable suburbs to the east, northeast, and south…"
July 15, 2008 -- Representing tremendous economic development potential, Oklahoma could lead the nation in wind energy production by 2030. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce and its statewide network of partners plan to advocate, promote, and incent Oklahoma's wind energy industry right to the top.In May, Governor Brad Henry signed HB2813, which gives utilities the ability to recover investments made in wind energy transmission and demonstrates Oklahoma's commitment to helping this industry fully develop."We're not just making room for a wind energy industry in Oklahoma," Governor Henry says. "We are embracing the industry and want to do all we can to harness every bit of capacity we can deliver to the nation's grid. We want to be a leader in production, and as we've done with our aerospace industry, Oklahoma wants to become a hub of other industry activity, including training, component supply, and maintenance. We have the pieces right here, and they're coming together quickly."
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July 14, 2008 -- Money magazine has named Norman the 6th best place to live in the United States.
Factors cited in the ranking include a strong local economy, good schools, as well as art and entertainment opportunities. Money bases its rating on several criteria including: ample job opportunities, good schools, low crime, green space and recreational opportunities.
In 2007, Norman was ranked among the top 100 best places to live at No. 40. This is Norman's first time to be ranked in the top 10.
Click here to read the full article "Best Places to Live"
June 20, 2008 -- A new law establishing tax credits for engineers going to work for Oklahoma companies as well as the companies that hire them is yet another reason why Oklahoma is a great place to live and do business.Feb. 21, 2008New Law Aims to Bolster Engineering Numbers with Tax Incentives.
The Aerospace Industry Engineer Work Force Bill was recently signed by Gov. Brad Henry.
"Aviation is a historic, vital industry in Oklahoma, and it's important to do everything we can to make sure it continues to thrive and expand," says Gov. Henry. "As in any high-tech field, aviation and aerospace ventures demand the best, highest-skilled talent available in the world. We want those people in Oklahoma."
"Because of its high quality of life, I think Oklahoma is an attractive place for anyone to live and work, but when you're talking about highly specialized professions, it is important to put some additional incentives on the table."
Feb. 21, 2008 — About 1,200 Tinker Air Force Base employees are separating from service or retiring this year, and many of them are ready to start new careers. To help match them with employers across Oklahoma, two AfterCareers® Career Fairs are set for April 30 and November 17, 2008.
The career fairs will be held at the Rose State College Performing Arts Theater, just off I-40 at Hudiburg Drive in Midwest City, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-line registration to participate will be available in March at www.aftercareers.com.
Exhibitor/employer registration, which costs $300 for the both the April 30 and November 17 fairs or $175 individually, is now open. To register as an exhibitor/employer, contact Johanna Clark at Johanna.clare@midwestcityok.com or (405) 733-3801.
Dec. 15, 2007 — If gadgets, lasers, microscopes, and computers are your thing, check out OSU-Okmulgee's new nanotechnology technician program.
The new nanotechnology laboratories and classrooms there include atomic-force microscopes, specialized software for analyzing nanomaterials, a scanning/tunneling microscope, and a fiber-optic spectrophotometer system.
Students at OSU-Okmulgee can earn an associate's degree in applied science, with a nano scientific instrumentation option through the university's Engineering Technologies Division.
For more information about OSU-Okmulgee's nano scientific instrumentation option, contact Steven Holley, with OSU-Okmulgee's Engineering Technologies Division, (918) 293-5434 or (918) 293-5150.
Oct. 15, 2007 — Looking closely at income growth, cost of living, job growth, and low unemployment, Forbes.com has ranked Tulsa No. 6 and Oklahoma City No. 10 among the nation's Best Cities for Jobs.
To compile the rankings, Forbes.com says it used five data points, weighted equally: unemployment rate, job growth, income growth, median household income, and cost of living for full-year 2006 (only partial data is so far available for 2007).
Oct. 3, 2007 — The Governor's Council for Workforce and Economic Development approved a broad set of goals this week aimed at creating a full pipeline of skilled workers to meet the current and future demands of Oklahoma businesses.
Dubbed "Grow Oklahoma," the approved initiatives are as follows:
Citing a need for greater collaboration among educators and businesses, Gov. Brad Henry described a future that focuses on lifelong learning.
The various public and private entities that will be putting teeth into the Governor's Council's goals plan to roll out a number of tools and resources for families, educators, and businesses to facilitate workforce development.
To learn how your school, business or organization can get involved, contact the Oklahoma Department of Commerce Workforce Solutions team at (405) 815-5256.