The Eastern Workforce Investment Board (EWIB) is interested in growing the wealth of the its area, which consists of Adair, Cherokee, McIntosh, Muskogee, Okmulgee and Wagoner counties.

With an aging population, some industries may find themselves with a shortage of workers as the baby boomers retire and the emerging work force does not meet the need in numbers or skill levels.

The increase in the minority population may ease the impact. However, with potential language barriers or cultural differences, employers may need assistance with adjusting to a diverse labor force.

A labor force study conducted by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and the University of Oklahoma research departments have identified over 40,000 workers who are currently available for other work. These workers represent the underemployed and job shifters in the Eastern Workforce area.

Additionally, there are approximately another 16,000 job seekers (not under-employed and have not looked for work in the past three months) that can be included in this labor pool.

Each year, the EWIB receives federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funds, which may be used to increase the skills of eligible adults, dislocated workers and youth.

Occupational skills training activities are a substantial component of the workforce development services that are offered through the Workforce Oklahoma Centers.

However, due to the federal rescision of WIA funds, training activities have been reduced.

By identifying demand occupations, EWIB can help to make sure that WIA resources are deployed to meet the current and future work force needs of employers in our area, especially in the medical field. These occupations may be found on the EWIB Web site at www.easternwib.com.

The use of the ACT WorkKeys© assessment tool in the Workforce Oklahoma Centers has provided a big insight into the skills of the existing work force. An analysis of these results has indicated a serious deficiency in the basic skill levels — reading for comprehension, locating information and applied math — of current and potential workers.

This is continually reinforced during site visits with employers.

By creating a pipeline of certified workers who address the skills sets needed by employers, regional economic development entities will be able to recruit businesses and retain existing industries to the region because of the existing skilled work force.

EWIB is concerned about what is perceived as a lack of assistance to the non-college bound during their elementary and high school years.

As the growing number of jobs for the future will require two-year technical certificates, it is important for students who are interested in technical training to be assisted while in high school to adequately prepare for that training.

Additionally, the EWIB is concerned about the number of students who do not graduate from high school. Without the skills learned during the high school years, these individuals will be unable to find jobs at self-sufficient wages, and local employers will not be able to fill job vacancies.