Central Oklahoma Manufactures Association (COMA)

PROJECT PURPOSE

COMA?s project proposes an industry-led, freestanding Manufacturing Skills Academy. The Academy will provide an environment where work-based learning on real product production and classroom instruction will occur in tandem to create a ?learning by doing? experience. In order to create an effective, practical, robust learning experience, the Academy will collaborate with both education and workforce partners in the curriculum design, in hiring, and in strategic development. These will be accomplished with shared oversight from members of the Academy. The location of the Academy will be coordinated to ensure greater opportunities to identify and attract potential students who belong to GenZ and/or are from disadvantaged communities, especially those populations in southeast Oklahoma City and Midwest City. After this program has had sufficient time to demonstrate its effectiveness, the next goal will be to duplicate it in other parts of the state where need exists. Several ingredients will ensure this Academy?s appeal and practicality. The first are the manufacturing experience and knowledge that COMA members will contribute to the curriculum design and implementation. Another is the mentoring experience from either current or recently retired manufacturing employees. What will appeal to many students is the opportunity to participate in the creation of actual products to be sold. see sections 4 of attachment for more details

EVIDENCE

COMA, in collaboration with its sector partners, have conducted sharing sessions with manufacturers. These sessions and comments that we have been hearing from our members for decades, coupled with the skills gap shortage in manufacturing as evidenced by research demonstrate many workforce struggles exist. Manufacturers have difficulty identifying and attracting potential employees who can be trained with the necessary skills to be effective in manufacturing and continue to grow this sector for Oklahoma. Placing our Academy in the disadvantaged communities identified we see it creating viable pipelines to employment and a community route to a living wage and pathway of success.

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

With this project?s focus on improving labor force participation, any group that is below the general population average has more room to benefit. For example, African American labor force participation is slightly below the general population average. 60.6% in Q4 of 2021 vs. 61.9% in December 2021 for the general population. Vulnerable groups followed the same trajectory of the general population but with greater spikes and some have not recovered to their pre-covid levels. If Oklahoma businesses are prepared to reach out to those that have left the labor force with jobs that can fit their needs, groups that were most affected by the pandemic have the most to gain. Job Sharing and other alternative employment situations benefit groups that have reduced labor force participation for reasons such as child care and other life obligations. Vulnerable groups have higher instances of these issues and therefore will be more likely to benefit. Other groups, such as Gen Z, Transitional Youth, and College Pausers also have life situations that have caused them to leave the workforce. Workers that are often drawn to part time employment in ?dead-end? industries can instead get their foot in the door of a growth sector. https://beta.bls.gov/dataViewer/view/timeseries/LNU01392175Q https://beta.bls.gov/dataViewer/view/timeseries/LNS11300000

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

The basic metrics for measuring success or failure of COMA?s Manufacturing Skills Academy are available through the Bureau of Labor Statistics and State government agencies such as the State Treasury. Because our project is focused on expanding the labour force, this is the primary statistic to benchmark success. Preventing the downward pre-covid trend or beginning to grow the Labor Force Participation Rate. Industry specific measurements such as the Purchasing Managers Index will also be used to identify success in different industries. In addition Program Completion Rate, Jobs Created, Critical Occupations filled and Sales Generated will be used. We will collect data monthly and will track completion and jobs created data on cohort completion and job placement with area manufacturers. In addition quarterly reports will be submitted to the grant administering body.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma