HIGHER EDUCATION – REFORM AND INVESTMENT The Chamber recognizes a high-quality higher education system is critical to economic growth. Oklahoma City continues to struggle with meeting the workforce needs of its employers, particularly in Critical Occupations (as defined by www. oklahomaworks.gov/criticaloccupations). The business community, governments and higher education continue to face financial challenges. We all must be innovative and flexible to meet the needs of customers and achieve our mission. This includes development of partnerships that produce tech transfer and research partnerships to generate private, federal and foundation revenue. We urge the higher education system to pursue significant reform to better meet employer needs. The business community supports the following reforms: • Higher education funding specifically directed to produce graduates with degrees in Critical Occupations such as engineering, nursing and IT/software/cybersecurity. • Increased accountability and annual metrics that motivate institutions to increase the number of graduates by requiring timely reporting of degrees produced in Critical Occupations. • Innovative approaches to curriculum and degree offerings, including ongoing analysis of in demand degree programs and creation of non-degree programs/certificates that create a workforce with needed skills. • Efforts to maximize funding through consolidation and sharing of services, programs and instructors. • New partnerships between four-year institutions, CareerTechs and community colleges that enable schools to share resources, staff and facilities. OKLAHOMA’S PROMISE Oklahoma’s Promise is one of the nation’s most successful college access programs. We oppose legislation that would diminish the program’s focus on college access. We support efforts to increase the number of college graduates and continued direct allocation of state funds, which ensures full funding of scholarships earned by Oklahoma students. CAREER TECH – BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY TRAINING The Oklahoma CareerTech system is acknowledged as one of the top systems in the nation. CareerTech is a key ingredient in attracting industry to Oklahoma through its Training for Industry
Program (TIP). The Chamber supports funding to assure training needs for new and existing industry. The business community urges the system to focus on producing a workforce that can meet the needs of in demand and Critical Occupations. CAREER READINESS AND CERTIFICATION The Chamber believes the Oklahoma workforce needs more opportunities to earn post-secondary education, including certifications, degrees, licenses and other training targeting skills that are in demand and meet industry needs. • We support key scholarship programs: Oklahoma Tuition Equalization Grants (OTEG) and Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grants (OTAG). • We support concurrent enrollment that enables more students enter college and complete a college degree. • We support development of work-based learning opportunities such as internships and apprenticeship programs. FEDERAL ISSUES HELPING STUDENTS PAY FOR HIGHER EDUCATION The Chamber recognizes that students need financial resources to complete post-secondary education. We support: • FAFSA Completion : The Chamber supports efforts to increase the number of students who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) because it helps students learn about how to pay for higher education. • Pell Grants and TRIO : The Chamber supports continued availability of Pell Grants to help students pay for higher education. We also support federally funded TRIO grants that help disadvantaged individuals prepare for and succeed in higher education. REMOVING RED TAPE FOR CHILD NUTRITION The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber recognizes that federal nutrition programs play a key role in keeping children in the Oklahoma City metro fed. The Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act has not been updated in over a decade. The Chamber supports the reauthorization of this act to better serve the children of the Oklahoma City community.
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