Oklahoma's Workforce Problem Starts Before the First Application

Employers across Oklahoma are struggling to find dependable workers. At the same time, a lot of young people and working adults in this state are struggling to find a clear path into a stable career. Both of those problems are real, and both are happening at once. That should tell us something.

The gap is not purely about job openings. It is about preparation, connection, and whether people have a realistic route into work that can support a family. Getting serious about that gap is one of the things I want to bring to the Oklahoma Labor Commissioner’s office.

Not every career starts with a four-year degree

Oklahoma has one of the strongest CareerTech systems in the country. More than 50 technology center campuses serve students across the state, offering hands-on training in welding, HVAC, automotive technology, healthcare, and dozens of other fields. These programs produce people ready to work on day one. They are not a consolation prize. They are often the faster, more affordable, and more direct route into a career that pays well and keeps Oklahoma running.

The problem is that too many students still feel steered away from those options before they have a chance to understand them. A 17-year-old in Enid or Ardmore or Muskogee who has a real talent for mechanical work or electrical systems should not walk away from high school thinking those skills are a lesser choice. Changing that requires employers, educators, and workforce leaders to talk more openly about what those careers actually look like, what they pay, and where they lead.

The conversation between employers and schools needs to happen earlier

Most employers already know exactly what skills are missing on their teams. The information exists. The problem is that it rarely reaches students at the right time, in the right form, through the right voices. By the time someone is job hunting, the window for influencing their preparation has mostly closed.

Stronger relationships between Oklahoma industries and local training programs can close that gap. When a construction company in Tulsa or a manufacturer in Bartlesville is able to help shape what a CareerTech curriculum emphasizes, students get a clearer picture of what is actually waiting for them. That kind of coordination does not happen automatically. It requires someone in a position to convene those conversations and hold them accountable for following through.

Small businesses carry a disproportionate share of the workforce burden

Oklahoma’s economy is built on small businesses. Most of the employers in this state do not have dedicated HR departments, training budgets, or the capacity to absorb a long ramp-up period when they bring someone new on. When a staffing gap opens, they feel it immediately. A plumbing company with eight employees losing one experienced technician to retirement is not a minor inconvenience. It can strain the entire operation.

Supporting workforce development is not a separate issue from supporting small business. They are the same issue. When people come into the job market better prepared, those businesses spend less time training basics and more time growing. That is good for the employer, good for the worker, and good for the local economy.

Second chances are part of a healthy workforce

Oklahoma has a large population of people who have been through the criminal justice system and are trying to get back on stable ground. Many of them are motivated, capable, and willing to work hard. The barrier is often not ability. It is access. Access to training programs, to employers willing to give a fair look, to the kind of mentorship that helps someone navigate re-entry without losing momentum.

When we write people off permanently, we do not just harm them. We shrink the workforce. We put more pressure on families and communities that are already stretched. A smart workforce strategy in Oklahoma has to include practical pathways for people who are ready to contribute.

Preparation means more than technical skills

A recurring complaint from employers across almost every industry is that new workers arrive without basic workplace habits. Showing up on time, communicating when something goes wrong, understanding what a professional expectation actually looks like. These are not complicated concepts, but they are not automatic either. Many people entering the workforce were simply never taught them in a concrete way.

Workforce readiness is not just a school problem or a parenting problem. It is a community problem. And it is one that state leadership can address through stronger partnerships with programs that teach soft skills alongside technical training, and through clearer communication from employers about what they are actually looking for when they hire.

What the Labor Commissioner’s office can do

The Oklahoma Labor Commissioner is not the governor and is not the legislature. But the office sits at the intersection of workers, businesses, training programs, and workplace standards. It is a position with real leverage to facilitate the conversations, partnerships, and accountability structures that help people move forward.

That leverage should not be used to pile new compliance burdens on small businesses that are already stretched thin. It should be used to help Oklahoma employers find prepared workers, help Oklahoma workers find real opportunity, and help the state build the kind of workforce that keeps people from feeling like they have to leave to find a future.

That is what I am running to do.

Learn more at janlooforoklabor.com

Paid for by Jan Loo for Oklahoma Labor Commissioner