The Flight Exploration Camp has extended their application deadline to June 1.  
The Tulsa Air and Space Museum (TASM) and Tulsa Community College (TCC) are offering this flight exploration camp to give interested high school students an opportunity to experience first-hand the thrill of flight and explore the science behind flight.  The Blue Barons Flight Exploration Camp is a young aviators dream! The camp is 4 days long and provides a structured introduction to flight and flight training as well as the math and science behind it.

 Areas we will cover include:

· Navigation

• · How weather conditions affect flight
• · Instrumentation
• · Basic Aerodynamics
• · Physiology
• · Radio Communication
• · Parts of the airplane
• · Flight planning and pre-flight of the aircraft
• · Leadership qualities and team work

Each day, campers will be engaged in fun filled lessons and activities.   The camp curriculum was designed by expert flight instructors (actual pilots) to provide each camper with an all-encompassing experience. This hands-on practical experience will help students explore and plan their aviation career paths.  Each day there will be ground school type training and/or flight training.

Campers will take part in exciting hands-on activities like:

· Take field trips to different aviation related facilities

• · Fly a full-motion flight simulator
• · Meet professionals from the aviation community to discuss career options and trends in aviation
• Watch aircraft demonstration
• · Build model airplanes
• · Get some real air time on an orientation flight in a Cessna aircraft over Tulsa, Oklahoma

The deadline for application has been extended to June 1, 2012 to allow more interested individuals to participate.  If you have someone who is really interested in the camp, please let me know by email at machelle.davison@okstate.edu or phone at 918-561-5712.

Event:              BOK Career Fair Expo – Consumer/ExpressBank

Date:               May 8, 2012

Time(s):           11am – 1pm and 5pm – 7pm

Speakers start at 11:15am and 5:15pm followed by a Q&A session and a meet and greet with our managers.

Location:         Renaissance Hotel – Madrid Room I

6808 South 107th East Avenue

Tulsa, OK 74133

RSVP:               smeadows@bokf.com or call 918-619-1084

Alexandria, Va. – April 30, 2012 – A free military-veteran hiring toolkit designed to guide civilian employers in recruiting veterans launched today during the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) talent management conference being held just outside of Washington, D.C. at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.     (BITLY: bit.ly/ICrXFC)

The 32-page toolkit details 10-steps to follow to effectively source, recruit, and retain military veterans, in the civilian workplace.

The toolkit describes and defines the military-connected talent—veterans, guard, reservists, spouses, and other supporting family members—that employers should consider when creating recruitment outreach plans.

Highlights include:

—   resources to find military veterans seeking private-sector employment;

—   resources for translating military skills into skills civilian employers can understand;

—   tips for creating a military-ready, or veteran-hiring organizational culture;

—   what employers need to know about military talent and military families; and

—   what employers need to know about related employment laws and compliance.

The information guide also includes examples of award-winning, military-hiring initiatives and created by SHRM chapters and state councils (SHRM Pinnacle Award winners) across the U.S.

Additionally, the guide includes descriptions of successful initiatives highlighted in the Employer Support for the Military Community study by the

Families and Work Institute.

The “Support from Behind the Lines: 10 Steps to Becoming a Military-Ready Employer,” toolkit was prepared for SHRM by Sherrill A. Curtis, SPHR, principal and creative director for Curtis Consulting Group LLC, a human resource consultancy based in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The toolkit was created to address the information needs HR professionals reported in a recent SHRM poll on hiring military veterans. Only 13 percent of those polled said their organization is “very aware” of effective resources for finding military veteran job candidates. Most, 52 percent, report their organization is “somewhat aware” of such resources while 35 percent said their organization is “not at all aware.”     POLL BITLY: bit.ly/x3YEeX

Click here for the tool kit BITLY: http://bit.ly/ICrXFC

Click here for the SHRM Military Employment Resource Page or BITLY: http://bit.ly/y1Tgpa

To read SHRM polls and surveys, visit: http://www.shrm.org/surveys.

Follow SHRM news on Twitter: @SHRMPress.

About the Society for Human Resource Management

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world’s largest association devoted to human resource management. Representing more than 250,000 members in over 140 countries, the Society serves the needs of HR professionals and advances the interests of the HR profession. Founded in 1948, SHRM has more than 575 affiliated chapters within the United States and subsidiary offices in China and India. Visit SHRM Online at www.shrm.org.

The job fair was a success!!! There were not only companies giving information about their organizations and taking applications, but also a resume writing session was available to those that wanted to improve their resume.  Close to 200 eager prospective people attended the event and the companies that were present at the job fair have reported that their website have seen an increase in applications.

  We look forward to continue providing opportunities to match employers and employees.

June 18^th – 22nd

The Tulsa Alliance for Engineering is organizing a Summer Engineering Camp for 8th grade students. This camp will be held June 18-22, and includes all of the educational partners within the Alliance – Tulsa Community College, Oklahoma State University, Oral Roberts University, Tulsa Technology Center, the University of Oklahoma, and the University of Tulsa.

With hands-on activities, exciting tours, college labs and student mentors, students will learn about a field with limitless possibilities! Alternative Energy, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, …… it’s in there!

The camp will begin at a specific central location in Tulsa each day at 8:00am. The students will be transported to a different educational partner each day as well as a local company or manufacturing facility, and returned to the meeting location by 5:00 pm.

There will not be an open application process. The application forms should be forwarded to Tulsa area Math, Science and Career Tech teachers who are asked to disseminate the applications only to the students that they would recommend for this camp who meet the qualifications listed below. The camp participants will be selected by an impartial committee, with the intent of including students from as many of the area schools as possible. A waiting list will also be developed.

Qualifications:

• · 8^th grade students (Summer before and/or summer following 8^th grade)
  · Total Number of Participants – 40 students
  · Low income – preference will be given to minority and/or females, however all new applicants will be considered.

Application Requirements:

• · Student Application with Parent/Guardian Signatures
  · Student Application Questions Sheet
  · Supply 2 recommendation forms – 1 must be a math, science or career tech teacher, and 1 can be from a community member, other non-relative, or a second teacher.

Students must have an interest in Math & Science or the potential to excel if given the correct guidance and motivation. They do not have to previously express an interest in Engineering. The goal is to select students that do not normally have the opportunity to attend an engineering camp, educate the students regarding the options available through the career field, and encourage them to enroll in the upper-level math and science courses needed in order to be college-ready when they graduate from high school. There is not an application fee associated with this camp, however, it is important that the students selected have good conduct, are dependable, and will participate and interact with other participants.

 Parents Info

Application Due Date: Thursday, May 10th

Return all application information to the Tulsa Alliance for Engineering,
TCC NE Campus, Rm 1130, 3727 E. Apache, Tulsa, OK 74115.

April 20, 2012

Committee Delays Further Action on WIA Bill

Sources are reporting that the House Education and Workforce Committee will delay consideration of Republicans’ WIA reform legislation, postponing a mark-up originally planned for next week. There are reports that rank-and-file Republicans on the committee have concerns over the bill’s key provision, including consolidation plans. Based on the congressional schedule, the next available date to mark-up the legislation would be the week of May 14.

Committee Democrats publicly expressed concerns about the consolidation proposal, as did all four witnesses at the committee’s legislative hearing this week, which was covered in a CWS Washington Update Special Report.

The bill, introduced by Reps. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) and Joe Heck (R-Nev.), also requires more private-sector participation in local workforce investment boards and seeks to increase job training accountability. Democrats also frame their more modest WIA reform bill as a step toward greater accountability in the workforce system.

For more information:

• CWS: WIA bill highlights
• CWS: ‘Accountability’ Becomes Consensus Point at Hearing on Foxx WIA Overhaul
• April 17 Legislative Hearing Archive
• HR 4297 (Foxx/McKeon/Heck)
• HR 4227 (Tierney/Miller/Hinojosa)

House, Senate Appropriators Start Work Under Conflicting Spending Caps

 Senate leaders from both parties agreed Thursday to stick with the discretionary spending cap of $1.047 trillion set in last summer’s Budget Control Act, and the Senate Appropriations Committee planned to move forward with drafting its FY 2013 spending bills.

Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), the top Republican on the Appropriations Committee, called the spending level “appropriate” because it was enacted as law.

The House adopted a lower spending cap – $1.028 trillion – in the budget blueprint authored by Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.).

Obama: WIA Beneficiaries Would Be Harmed by GOP Budget; Proposes CTE Reform

The White House has specifically named the Workforce Investment Act as an area that would be harmed under the Republican budget resolution, which the president had called “radical” when it passed the House last month.

Obama said at a speech Wednesday in the battleground state of Ohio that the budget cuts programs “to give folks like me a tax cut that we don’t need and that the country can’t afford.

“What’s the better way to make our economy stronger? Give more tax breaks to every millionaire and billionaire in the country, or make investments in education and research and health care and job training?”

The White House followed the president’s remarks with a fact sheet outlining the budget’s impact on workforce programs.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan also announced a new proposal Thursday to restructure career and technical education (CTE). In a summary, the administration says the new approach focuses on alignment with in-demand sectors; collaboration among educational institutions, employer partners and industry; accountability for outcomes; and innovation at the state and local levels.

ETA Releases Technical Assistance Resources for Career Pathways Initiative

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) this week announced the availability of technical assistance resources for developing Career Pathways systems.  Career Pathways is an initiative launched by ETA in 2010 designed to align education coursework and training credentials with employer-validated work readiness standards.  

Based on feedback from the initiative’s initial 11 grantees, the new technical assistance resources focus on six key activities that states, local areas and tribal entities can engage in to expand and support career pathways:

• Building cross-agency partnerships
• Identifying industry sector and engaging employers
• Identifying funding needs and strategies
• Aligning policies and programs
• Measuring system change and performance

The new resources and updated materials can be found on ETA’s Career Pathways Community of Practice.

Workforce Partnership Board’s Veteran-Focused Job Fair Draws Rep. Yoder’s Attention

Kansas’ Workforce Partnership Board, managed by CWS member The Kaiser Group, organized a unique job fair at the Olathe Great Mall that attracted over 1,400 job seekers.   About 200 of the 1,400 job seekers were veterans who were able to attend a special veterans-only session during the first hour of the fair.

In addition to job seekers, the job fair’s large turnout and focus on veterans drew the attention of Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.), who spent more than four hours at the fair talking to veterans and other job seekers.

At the conclusion of the jobs fair, Yoder made the following statement:

“I was happy to see so many job-seekers at the Great Mall today. These folks are hard-working and looking to get back to earning a paycheck. We have a lot of work to do to get our Kansas economy to where we know it can be, but today was a tremendous step in the right direction. I heard a lot of good ideas and feedback to take back to Washington. I’m hopeful many of these veterans and other folks looking for work will receive a good news phone call in the very near future.”

U.S. Department of Labor Looks to States for Re-employment Best Practices

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced an opportunity for states to develop innovative demonstration projects aimed at connecting unemployed individuals with jobs.  This announcement is a key component to the administration’s overhaul of the Unemployment Insurance system.

“This administration is committed to finding new and innovative ways to turn the unemployment system into a re-employment system, and state programs can play a crucial role in doing so,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. “These projects will help improve services, lower costs and provide crucial worker protection measures to ensure that employers who follow the rules are able to compete on a level playing field.”

Up to 10 states will have the opportunity to use administrative funding – or apply for a waiver to use Unemployment Insurance Trust Funds – to implement and evaluate programs designed to help the unemployed return to work.  The guidance released today provides details on the application process, types of activities that qualify and other requirements.

$20 Million in Grants Released through Labor Department’s Disability Employment Initiative

The U.S. Department of Labor this week announced the release of $20 million in grants to fund cooperative agreements that will improve educational, training and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

“These grants are a wise investment in America’s greatest resource, our nation’s workers,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. “The mission of the programs awarded under these grants will be to improve services for people with disabilities so they can more easily and effectively participate in the workforce.”

The department plans on awarding six to 10 grants, ranging from $1.5 million – $6 million, to be spent over the course of three years.  The grants will be awarded to state workforce agencies, which will collaborate with local workforce boards.

The solicitation for grant applications is now available, and applicants are encouraged to view the online tutorial, “Grant Applications 101: A Plain English Guide to ETA Competitive Grants.”

The Week Ahead

Here are some things to look for in the coming days:

• Human Resources Subcommittee of House Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing titled “Moving from Unemployment Checks to Paychecks: Implementing Recent Reforms,” Wed., April 25, at 10 a.m. in 1100 Longworth Bldg. The session will focus on the implementation of changes to the unemployment insurance system contained in the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (PL 112-96).

• House Veterans’ Affairs Committee will mark up pending legislation, Thur., April 26, 10 a.m., 334 Cannon Bldg.

Congressman John Kline, Chairman 

Biggest Mistakes by Managers and Supervisors in Dealing with Employees and How to Avoid Them

April 24 – 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM

To register, contact Jessica Chaffee at jessicachaffee@tulsachamber.com or 918-560-0294