• Contact
Friday, May 9, 2025
  • Login
Oklahoma Business Voice
  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • Aerospace
    • Childcare
    • Education
    • Energy & Environment
    • Federal
    • Film & Television Industry
    • Finance
    • Health Care
    • Innovation
    • Issues Affecting Oklahomans
    • OBV One-on-One
    • Opinion
    • Politics & Elections
    • Taxes & Budget
    • Tribal
    • Workforce Development
    A cheerful orange food truck adorned with decorative lights and vibrant designs, serving food items to customers amidst an energetic night fair setup with string lights.

    Gov. Stitt signs Food Truck Freedom Act into Oklahoma law

    Photo from Northern Oklahoma College

    OK Commerce Dept launches education, workforce incentive

    State Capitol of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City.

    Bills to guide, fund Oklahoma Workforce Commission progressing

    Woman checking the grocery receipt

    Bill to stop mandatory price hike on retail goods in Oklahoma progressing

  • Sign UpNEW
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise With Us!
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • Aerospace
    • Childcare
    • Education
    • Energy & Environment
    • Federal
    • Film & Television Industry
    • Finance
    • Health Care
    • Innovation
    • Issues Affecting Oklahomans
    • OBV One-on-One
    • Opinion
    • Politics & Elections
    • Taxes & Budget
    • Tribal
    • Workforce Development
    A cheerful orange food truck adorned with decorative lights and vibrant designs, serving food items to customers amidst an energetic night fair setup with string lights.

    Gov. Stitt signs Food Truck Freedom Act into Oklahoma law

    Photo from Northern Oklahoma College

    OK Commerce Dept launches education, workforce incentive

    State Capitol of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City.

    Bills to guide, fund Oklahoma Workforce Commission progressing

    Woman checking the grocery receipt

    Bill to stop mandatory price hike on retail goods in Oklahoma progressing

  • Sign UpNEW
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise With Us!
No Result
View All Result
Oklahoma Business Voice
No Result
View All Result
Home News Opinion
SB 621 essential to refocusing, revitalizing workforce in Oklahoma

SB 621 essential to refocusing, revitalizing workforce in Oklahoma

Guest Contributor by Guest Contributor
May 25, 2023
in Opinion, Workforce Development
Reading Time: 3 mins read
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

By Rick Nagel and Tim Pehrson

A state cannot succeed to its fullest potential without a thriving workforce, and for a workforce to thrive, it must operate with the focused efficiency of our nation’s most successful industries.

Oklahoma has the potential for a booming workforce. It has a wealth of successful industries spanning sectors that range from oil and gas to aerospace to health care to telecommunications to farming and agriculture. It has talented men and women who go to work every day, carrying within them a hope that their efforts will pave a path to prosperity for them and their family. And the state wants to grow by giving aspiring entrepreneurs opportunities to start their success stories and by welcoming proven companies to expand into the state.

But the vast promise and potential of Oklahoma’s future is undercut by the lack of focus and coordination in our state’s workforce system. Workforce has been listed as Oklahoma businesses’ most difficult challenge multiple years in a row, yet nothing has been done.

Although Oklahoma’s unemployment rate is a low 3 percent and routinely stays below 4 percent, there are thousands of open jobs each month. Businesses throughout the state frequently need more workers to fill open positions. In addition, Oklahoma’s labor participation rate – the percentage of working-age Oklahomans actively participating in the workforce – was staggeringly low at 60.5 percent in December 2022, which ranked 35th in the nation.

All members of the state government have a hand in workforce, but no one is captaining the ship. There is not one person or entity tasked with the responsibility of coordinating Oklahoma’s workforce. We need someone at the helm of the ship who will wake up every day and go to work thinking solely about how to make the talent pipeline in Oklahoma better.

Other states have flourished by implementing a workforce management system, including Ohio with JobsOhio, Utah with its Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, Florida’s Career Source Florida and Texas’ Workforce Commission. There is no harm in borrowing great plans from our neighbors.

Senate Bill 621 creates the Oklahoma Workforce Commission. The Commission will be comprised of business leaders from the private sector who will be tasked with coordinating and developing Oklahoma’s workforce, creating a workforce plan and utilizing public and private funds to carry out its mission.

Oklahoma needs a singular workforce owner, a leading force that will set visions and goals to fulfill workforce needs, reduce administrative costs, eliminate wasteful duplication, align funding with goals that produce effective results and hold state entities accountable for failures and shortcomings. The bill presents a plan that will establish leadership and bring the state’s workforce into alignment.

The Workforce Commission will not only coordinate today’s talent pipeline, but it will also build tomorrow’s workforce by aligning the state’s industries with its educational institutions. The Commission will work to ensure that students receive specialized education and training that will send them down clear and concise pathways to their future careers. This forward-thinking Commission will not only provide Oklahomans with the knowledge needed to transition into the workforce, but also the discipline and sense of direction the state needs to succeed in the future.

The time is now to refocus Oklahoma’s goals across our workforce development system. Doing so will help revitalize our economy and create a promise of prosperity that will grow this state into the future. Passing SB 621 is essential for Oklahoma to succeed.

Rick Nagel is managing partner of Acorn Growth Companies. Tim Pehrson is president and CEO of Integris Health.

Tags: Acorn Growth CompaniesOklahomaRick NagelSB 621Senate Bill 621Tim PehrsonWorkforce
ShareTweetShare
Previous Post

Legislation that creates Oklahoma Workforce Commission back on track, passes Senate once again

Next Post

Bill to eliminate Oklahoma’s franchise tax heads to Gov. Stitt’s desk

Related Posts

Photo from Northern Oklahoma College
Education

OK Commerce Dept launches education, workforce incentive

May 7, 2025
State Capitol of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City.
News

Bills to guide, fund Oklahoma Workforce Commission progressing

May 8, 2025
Photo from Rachel Cannon's website
Film & Television Industry

1 on 1: TV star Cannon envisions Oklahoma as sitcom production hotspot

May 2, 2025
Photo from Tulsa Regional Chamber
Education

Tulsa Chamber exposing students to future career opportunities

April 24, 2025
Photo from OCCC
Education

OCCC giving Oklahoma businesses opportunity to hire talent

April 23, 2025
Photo courtesy of Jeremy Scheffel and MidAmerica
Education

MidAmerica, OSU, Northeast Tech team to expand workforce training

April 11, 2025
Next Post
Franchise Tax

Bill to eliminate Oklahoma's franchise tax heads to Gov. Stitt's desk

Oklahoma Business Voice

© 2023 Oklahoma State Chamber.
Powered by High Five Media.
Privacy Policy

Navigate Site

  • Home
  • News
  • Sign Up
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise With Us!

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Sign Up
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise With Us!

© 2023 Oklahoma State Chamber.
Powered by High Five Media.
Privacy Policy

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.