Southern Tech, Work Ready Oklahoma partner for $6 million-dollar contract to increase workforce opportunities

ARDMORE, Okla. (KXII) - Southern Tech announced a six million dollar contract with Oklahoma Human Services to bolster southern Oklahoma’s workforce.

Work Ready Oklahoma is aiming to help 75 families find employment in their first year.

“75% of our participants must be eligible for social services, and so that will help us meet our goals in terms of reaching the people who need it the most,” Work Ready Oklahoma program director Erica Gay said.

The six million dollar contract with Oklahoma Human Services will bring a fully-staffed office with individualized resources to fit participant’s needs.

“They will come in and take the classes with us, and we will stand them up in offices in our building and they will learn those job skills,” Southern Tech superintendent Eric Ward added.

In just two weeks, participants will learn everything from building a resume to on the job skills.

“We basically help them find a job, and if they need help with skills after that, we will have the offices there that can help them remotely,” Gay stated.

The program also provides opportunities for participants to further their education at Southern Tech.

“If they finish the Work Ready Oklahoma program, they could essentially come to Southern Tech and get additional certifications if they wanted to,” Ward said.

He says the Work Ready program gives families the training and confidence they need to work in the community, or at home.

“They could end up working remotely for a company in Texas or Kansas or Missouri, so we’re actually bringing dollars in from other states into southern Oklahoma,” Ward stated.

The Work Ready program is expected to begin this September.

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