Months of conversations across Greater Oklahoma City are beginning to reveal what it could take to build a more connected regional education and workforce system. At the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber’s 2026 State of Education & Workforce, CivicLab, the Chamber’s partner in developing a regional education and workforce strategy, shared some of the patterns emerging from its work with educators, employers, workforce partners and community leaders as the Chamber continues developing Talent OKC: Connecting Education & Workforce. One of the clearest themes is a shift in how organizations are approaching shared challenges. REGIONAL INPUT BEGINS SHAPING TALENT OKC STRATEGY
Through the engagement process, CivicLab has seen participants begin to look beyond organizational, sector and geographic boundaries. Rather than starting with predetermined solutions, the process has focused on involving people in defining the challenges they face and identifying potential solutions. The work has also highlighted a shift from organizations asking what they can accomplish individually toward considering what the region can accomplish collectively. Another emerging theme is the importance of having decisions informed by the people closest to and most affected by the issues. The people closest to these challenges understand where our systems are working well and where the gaps still exist. - Rhonda Baker “The people closest to these challenges understand where our systems are working well and where the gaps still exist,” said Rhonda Baker, the Chamber’s director of education. “Bringing those perspectives together is helping us see connections we might otherwise miss and build a strategy that reflects what students, workers, educators and employers across our region actually need.” Those local findings align with lessons from communities elsewhere in the country that have taken a regional approach to talent development. During his keynote address, Jack Hess, CivicLab executive director, shared research into communities recognized as successful Talent Hubs and identified several characteristics of their approaches. One is viewing talent development as a system rather than a collection of individual
programs. That means considering the entire journey from early childhood, through K-12, postsecondary education and into the workforce, including adults who may need additional education or credentials to access new opportunities.
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