Building tomorrow's workforce starts today

A strong workforce doesn't happen by accident. It takes employers, educators and community partners working together to prepare people for the jobs of today and tomorrow. 

That's a lesson Bob Funk Jr., CEO of Express Employment Professionals, has seen firsthand through the company's network of offices across North America. 

"The strongest workforce pipelines are found in communities that understand workforce development does not happen in isolation," Funk said. "Businesses cannot solve it on their own, and neither can schools. It takes a real partnership between employers, educators, civic organizations and others who care about the long-term health of the community." 

That philosophy aligns closely with the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber's regional education and workforce initiative, Talent OKC: Connecting Education & Workforce, which is bringing together business, education and community leaders to create a shared strategy for strengthening Oklahoma City's education to career pipeline. As the Chamber continues that work, Funk's perspective offers a look at what successful workforce partnerships look like in practice. 

According to Funk, the strongest communities don't view education and workforce development as separate priorities. Instead, they intentionally connect education with employer needs and create pathways that prepare students for real careers. 

He pointed to states like Tennessee and Indiana, where investments in workforce-aligned education, technical training and employer partnerships have helped build stronger talent pipelines. Tennessee's efforts include programs that help students earn credentials tied directly to in-demand careers, while Indiana has invested in workforce training programs that help employers develop the skilled workers they need. Although every state's approach is different, Funk said the common thread is intentional collaboration between education and industry. 

That alignment pays dividends for employers. Communities with stronger workforce systems often have deeper pools of job-ready candidates, reducing hiring challenges while making the region more attractive to companies looking to expand or relocate.  

"The lesson is that workforce development works best when it is intentional," Funk said. "When that happens, workers benefit, employers benefit and the whole region becomes more competitive." 

For Oklahoma City, that's exactly why employers have an important role to play. 

"If businesses want access to skilled, prepared employees, they need to be active partners in helping shape the systems that prepare them," Funk said. 

That partnership can take many forms, from helping educators identify in-demand skills to providing students with greater exposure to career opportunities through internships, mentoring, career technology partnerships and classroom engagement. Funk said employers bring valuable real-world insight that helps ensure students understand the careers available to them and the skills those careers require. 

He pointed to the skilled trades as one example. As experienced workers retire and fewer young people enter those fields, demand continues to outpace supply despite the strong wages, long-term stability and meaningful careers many of the professions offer. Helping students understand those opportunities earlier can strengthen the workforce while creating better outcomes for employers and workers alike. 

Those ideas mirror the conversations taking place through the Chamber's partnership with CivicLab. By bringing employers into the discussion alongside educators and community leaders, the initiative aims to better align education with workforce needs while creating more opportunities for students to succeed and businesses to grow. 

Funk believes Oklahoma City has already demonstrated what long-term investment can accomplish. 

"Oklahoma City today is nearly unrecognizable compared to the city many of us knew just a few decades ago," he said. "That did not happen by accident. It happened because people made intentional investments in this community and were willing to think beyond the next year or the next business cycle." 

He believes the region's next investment should continue to focus on its people. 

"My message to business leaders would be that education and workforce development are not separate from economic development. They are economic development," Funk said. "If we want Oklahoma City to stay competitive, we have to keep investing in the people who will power its next chapter."