About Commerce

May 7, 2012

OKLAHOMA CITY — Fifteen counties in Southeast Oklahoma were recently recognized for being “Work Ready” by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.  This region includes Choctaw, Haskell, Latimer, LeFlore, Marshall, McCurtain, Pittsburg, Pontotoc, Pushmataha, Atoka, Bryan, Coal, Johnston, McIntosh and Hughes counties. 

This prestigious recognition gives these counties an advantage when competing to retain, grow and attract jobs and talent.  By investing in linking economic development, education and workforce these thirteen counties can provide a talent pool of skilled, work-ready job candidates to meet the needs of employers and the goals of workers.  This “Work Ready” region can verify to businesses that it has a sustainable, reliable pipeline that delivers the right workers with the right skills at the right time. 

In order to obtain certification, the region met the following qualifications:

• 3% of the existing workforce must earn a Career Readiness Certificate credential.
• 25% of the available workforce must earn a Career Readiness Certificate.
• Either a minimum of 85% high school graduation rate or 82% of high school seniors earn a Career Readiness Certificate. 

The Career Readiness Certificate is a job skills assessment system that measures “real world” skills employers believe are critical to success in a job environment.  These skills are valuable for any occupation — skilled or professional and at any level of education. 

For more information on the Southeast Oklahoma Region, contact Jodie White, (888) 567-6643 or (918) 567-2264 or jwhite2@okktc.org.  For more information on Oklahoma Workforce Development, contact Jeane Burruss, Oklahoma Department of Commerce, (800) 879-6552.