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. 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).

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.”

Oklahoma’s Certified Work Ready project is an innovative program that encourages selfdefined 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).

Oklahoma’s Premier Work Ready Region achieved and exceed the requirements. Oklahoma’s Premier Work Ready Region has 3.1 percent of the existing workforce credentialed with CRCs; and 26.1 percent of the available workforce is credentialed with CRCs; Oklahoma’s Premier Work Ready region is committed to improving the high school graduation rate and the standard set was 82 percent and this Region has a graduation rate of 86 percent.