Duncan Selected by the State of Oklahoma to Pilot the Career Pathways project

August 27, 2012

Every community across the country has a great deal of concern about workforce including our companies in Duncan. We hear from our business community that they need certain job skill sets to remain competitive in this global economy. To accomplish a task this large requires some partnerships that are committed and focused on the long-term goals.  Fortunately, in Duncan, we have individuals who stepped up to see this become a reality.

Duncan Public Schools, along with our local manufacturers, have joined forces with Duncan Area Economic Development Foundation (DAEDF) to implement Career Pathways. The support for doing this project comes from several entities much higher: Organizations like the Governor's Council on Workforce, Oklahoma Department of Commerce, Oklahoma School Superintendent Janet Barresi, Southwest Oklahoma Impact Coalition (SOIC), Red River Technology Center, Cameron University, ASCOG, and the Oklahoma Manufacturers Alliance.  There are many communities watching how Duncan structures the events that will eventually lead us to filling a potential void in our workforce needs.

Duncan was the spotlight on August 27^th at a state-wide conference at Moore Norman Technology Center in Oklahoma City.  DAEDF organized tours of Cameron Measurement Systems, Southern Machine Works, MIC Group, Wilco, and Halliburton for Duncan Middle School teachers and students. DAEDF also hosted and organized local manufacturers in the classroom during the SOIC-sponsored mobile manufacturing lab visit to Duncan Middle School. DAEDF's Engineering Contest and C0² Race Care program has grown to 195 students this year.

Our focus is to demonstrate how important Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) are to the manufacturers in our community.  The dialogue between teachers and plant operators reinforce the importance of a well-educated workforce.  This approach also allows for more collaboration with the common goal in mind. Everyone realizes that we have only started down the road of Career Pathways in Duncan. The results of this project will take many years of guiding our youth before we see what impact has been made. By taking this initiative, Duncan is a step ahead of other communities in Oklahoma. Our next step is to introduce students and teachers to occupations in healthcare and finance.