Ada Regional Meeting Continues Workforce Tour

Governor Fallin, business leaders talk about addressing skills gap, other employment issues

Oklahoma City (September 17, 2015) – The State Chamber of Oklahoma today hosted the fifth of nine regional meetings featuring Governor Mary Fallin to talk with business leaders and the education community in Ada and southern Oklahoma about problems they face finding skilled workers. The meetings are a partnership between the State Chamber, the Oklahoma Educated Workforce Initiative (OEWI) and Governor Fallin’s Oklahoma Works program.

“Most employers tell me they have good, high-paying jobs that sit empty because, too often, we are graduating students without the skills needed for the modern workforce,” said State Chamber President & CEO Fred Morgan. “We need to change that in order to make sure Oklahoma’s economy continues to grow. We want to thank Governor Fallin for starting the conversation between the business community and educators about how to address the state’s current and future workforce needs. We look forward to even more engagement by business leaders in the meetings to come.”

During the meeting at East Central University’s Chickasaw Business Conference Center, Governor Fallin told attendees about the skills gap the state is facing where 54-percent of the current workforce has education beyond high school while 77-percent of the jobs in ten years will require education beyond high school. “The new minimum is that you need more than just a high school degree,” Fallin said. “Our vision is to create jobs and economic prosperity by emphasizing the additional education needed beyond high school.”

Lundy Kiger, vice president and director of governmental relations for AES Shady Point in Poteau, also spoke as the Key Economic Network Business Champion for the Southern region as chosen by Governor Fallin. “There is a significant gap between education and business and it has to be reduced,” Kiger said. “Educators should be exposed to business to help reduce that gap and business leaders need to view educators as stakeholders.”

There are four more regional meetings scheduled around the state through the end of October:

For more information go to www.okstatechamber.com/events.

###