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Policy, Research & Best Practices

Tulsa MSA Workforce Briefing

Click here to view the Tulsa MSA Workforce Briefing created by the Oklahoma Office of Workforce Development.

Workforce Tulsa Local Plan

Please click here to view the Workforce Tulsa Local Plan.

Northeast Regional Plan

Please click here to view the Northeast Regional Plan.

Tulsa Regional Workforce Initiative

The Tulsa Regional Chamber and several community partners have concluded an unprecedented 24-week initiative to gauge the state of the Tulsa area’s workforce and are now working to draft a regional plan for workforce development aimed at improving job training opportunities for residents and keeping the area’s economy competitive.

Linked with the region’s ongoing visioning effort for improving life and business in northeast Oklahoma, this Workforce Analysis Project aims to address increasing competition from other metropolitan regions and find ways to fill workforce talent gaps that have left local high-paying jobs unfilled.

For a one-sheet summary, click here. For more information, click here.

Labor Market Prospects in Tulsa: An Analysis of Recent Trends

Thanks to Christopher T. King and Brendan Hill of the Ray Marshall Center for the Study of Human Resources at the University of Texas at Austin Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs and our partners at Community Action Project Tulsa for allowing us to share their "Labor Market Prospects in Tulsa: An Analysis of Recent Trends." Click here to view.

Tulsa Area EcoSystems

The Workforce Tulsa EcoSystems report illustrates the occupations that are critical to the area's economic growth. Click here to view.

Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act

The Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act is bipartisan, bicameral legislation that was signed into law by President Obama on July 22, 2014. It replaces the Workforce Investment Act, thereby changing the workforce system to better prepare workers for the 21st century workforce and ensuring businesses find the skilled employees they need to compete and create jobs in America.

Highlights of the WIOA follow. The WIOA

Streamlines the workforce development program.
Applies a single set of outcome metrics to every federal workforce program under the Act.
Creates smaller, nimbler, but still employer-driven and more strategic state and local workforce development boards.
Supports access to real-world education and workforce development opportunities through

On-the-job, incumbent worker (existing employees), and customized training;
New opportunities to utilize prior learning assessments;
Requirements for implementation of industry or sector partnerships and career pathway strategies; and,
Pay-for-performance contracts.

Ensures individuals with disabilities have the skills necessary to be successful in businesses that provide competitive, integrated employment.
Focuses youth program services on out-of-school youth, high school dropout recovery efforts, and attainment of recognized postsecondary credentials.
Strengthens the connection between adult education, postsecondary education, and the workforce.
Improves services to English language learners.

For more information, view

The US Department of Labor's WIOA page here;
The US Department of Education's WIOA page here; or
The National Skills Coalition's analysis of WIOA here.

Workforce Related Initiatives Report for the Oklahoma Legislature Public Safety Committee Ongoing Data Collection in Relation to Juvenile Justice and Effective Use of Research and Evaluation Findings

To download the report, click here.

Impact Tulsa

Utilizing nationally recognized best practices, ImpactTulsa is bringing all critical partners to the table. These partners are sharing accountability, measuring what matters, identifying what’s working and helping to align community and education resources to scale best practices. Their goal is to provide a pathway where all students are guaranteed a high quality education. Workforce Tulsa is proud to be a partner in this project. To learn more go here.

Occupations That Are In Demand

Workforce Tulsa utilizes data from various sources as well as the knowledge and expertise of our business-led 35 member board to determine what occupations are in demand in the Tulsa area. Click here for the list of those occupations.

CLASP "Investing in Boys and Young Men of Color: The Promise and Opportunity

CLASP develops and advocates for federal, state and local policies to strengthen families and create pathways to education and work. Their mission is to improve the lives of low-income people.

Click here to read the the brief focusing on employment in boys and young men of color.

Workforce Tulsa Policies

Adult and Dislocated Worker Policy TU2017-022018

Anti-Harassment Policy TU2018-082018

Center Certification Policy TU2017-082017

Conflict of Interest Policy TU2018-102018

Eligibile Training Provider List Policy TU2015-062016

Equal Opportunity Policy TU2018-102018

Grievance Policy TU2018-08-2018

Incident Reporting Policy TU2018-082018

Limited English Language Plan TU2017-062018

Limited English Language Policy TU2017-062018

On-The-Job Training TU2018-102018

Program Monitoring Policy TU2018-082018

Personal Identification Information Policy TU2017-082017

Program Note Policy TU2018-102018

Self-Sufficiency Policy TU2016-022017

Supplemental Wage Policy TU2017-072018

Supportive Service Policy TU2015-082015-1

Youth Program Policy TU2018-102018

Workforce Tulsa Board Bylaws

Click here to view the Workforce Tulsa Board Bylaws.

Oklahoma Justice Reform Task Force Final Report

Download the report here.

Workforce in the News

March 11, 2016 - Five Questions with Shelley Cadamy, executive director of Workforce Tulsa

"The return on investment on getting someone ready for work is substantial. They’re no longer dependent on social services, nor are their children, and they begin to contribute to the state’s tax base." Read the entire article here.

Dec. 21, 2015 - Male Diversion Program nearing ready point

Tulsa County is launching a new prison diversion program for men, with Workforce Tulsa as a partner. Read the article here.

November 20, 2015 - Vanpooling Comes to Tulsa

Community Transportation Association of America published an excellent article on the Vanpooling Project here in Tulsa. Read more.

October 28, 2015 - News conference raises awareness about employment of those with disabilities

"Other area employers who have successfully integrated people with disabilities into their workforce include Spirit AeroSystems and Pepsico", Cadamy said.

“They don’t do it to be nice to people; they do it because it benefits their bottom line,” Cadamy said. “They do it because they recognize the value of diversity in their workforce.”

Read more about Disability Employment Awareness month and some local area businesses that have seen positive impacts from their diversity hiring policies.

July 14, 2015 - Vanpooling helps workers with transportation issues

Vanpooling, the first of its kind in Tulsa, was formally announced July 10, but the soft rollout began June 6.

It is a collaborative effort of the Tulsa Regional Chamber, Workforce Tulsa, Goodwill Industries of Tulsa, The Center for Employment Opportunities, Women in Recovery, Madison Strategies and the Oklahoma Department of Career Tech Skills Centers. Read more.

July 10, 2015 - Designated drivers: Vanpooling takes vehicles off roads, helps companies cut tardiness

Oil industry parts manufacturer S&R Compression routinely lost up to $4,000 per month in production downtime last year due to worker tardiness or absenteeism. So the maker of natural gas compression systems became the first Tulsa employer to enter a new Tulsa-area vanpooling program designed to help people get to work on time.

Oct. 31, 2014 - Tulsa has 4th-Largest Gain in Degree Attainment

The Tulsa Regional Chamber says the number of residents who received associate's and bachelor's degrees from local institutions increased 15.9 percent between 2010 and 2013.
The increase is the fourth largest among the 57 metropolitan areas that participated in the three-year national Talent Dividend contest. Read more here.

Aug. 18, 2014 - A Case of Mistaken Identity: The New York Times Mixes up Higher Education and Workforce Development

Federally-funded job training programs have a reputation problem in the United States, often serving as scapegoats for the very problems they are trying to alleviate – unemployment, skill gaps, and economic insecurity, to name a few. But they’ve never been held responsible for the student loan crisis. That is, until today, when the New York Times published a lengthy article blaming the public workforce system for historic levels of student indebtedness and the unscrupulous behavior of many for-profit colleges, neither of which fall under the purview of federal workforce development policy. Read more

July 16, 2014 - Action plan discussed for Tulsa-area Workforce Analysis Project

Now that the findings and recommendations of the Workforce Analysis Project have been unveiled, the real work begins. Read More.

July 15, 2014 - Workforce Analysis Results Announced

Monday, July 14, representatives from the Tulsa Regional Chamber met to announce the findings of the Tulsa regional Workforce Analysis Project. Read More.

July 14, 2014 - Regional Workforce Analysis Project

The T-town economy was under the microscope for six months, as a study picked apart the workings of how Tulsa works. Read More.

July 14, 2014 - Report Shows Strengths, Weaknesses Of Tulsa's Workforce

The Tulsa economy is booming according to a recent study into the regional workforce. It shows we have more jobs than the national average, but it also found some legitimate weaknesses. Read more.

July 14, 2014 - Tulsa Chamber Workforce Analysis Produces Recommendations

The Tulsa Chamber has a comprehensive plan to transform the region’s economy after getting a list of recommendations from its six-month Workforce Analysis Project. Read More.

July 5, 2014 - Commissioners address new fiscal year business

Creek County approved a Consortium Operations Agreement with Workforce Tulsa. Read More.

July 1, 2014 - The Best And Worst States for Recent Grads Since the Recession

Forbes ranks Oklahoma in the top ten best states for recent grads since the recession. Read More.

July 2014 - Special Series From The Tulsa World: Bridging The Skills Gap

Employers have job openings. They also have a challenge: Finding skilled workers to fill those jobs. This week, the Tulsa World will take a closer look at how schools, businesses and the government are trying to improve Oklahoma’s workforce. The series topic was among priorities identified by Tulsa World editors and the World's Community Advisory Board, a group of 24 people who are part of a cross section of the community. Read More.