2023 Year in Review: OESC Leads Efforts to Refine, Streamline Oklahoma Workforce Delivery System

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) achieved several milestones in 2023 that helped rebuild Oklahoma’s workforce delivery system, which connects Oklahomans to work.

This year, Oklahoma Gov.  Kevin Stitt, alongside legislative and business leaders, placed an emphasis on upgrading Oklahoma’s workforce delivery system. Together they made legislative changes, executive orders, and the creation of the new Oklahoma Workforce Commission. One Governor’s Executive Order made OESC the sole point of funding and accountability for the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). That order also dissolved the Oklahoma Office of Workforce Development and moved those functions to OESC.  

“Refining Oklahoma’s workforce delivery system is exciting, but it requires all hands on deck,” said Trae Rahill, OESC Chief Executive Officer. “We knew going into this that there would be a lot to change and some to build for the first time. Fortunately, we have great partners stepping up all around us to make this new delivery system a reality. I’m very proud of what we’re accomplishing together, and I’m ecstatic about the continued work ahead in 2024.”

Throughout 2023, OESC partnered with several other state agencies to establish relationships that would enable and drive a better workforce delivery system. OESC, CareerTech and the Department of Rehabilitation Services (OKDRS) came together as core partners and worked closely to launch team projects and promote existing workforce resources and services. Partnerships also helped OESC bring back large-scale hiring events in 2023 – the first time doing so since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This was our first industry-specific job fair, and it was a huge success thanks to our Comms team and our partners at Rose State College and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT).” Rahill said. “We had over 40 employers and over 200 jobseekers in attendance, some of which were able to achieve job certifications through free training sessions leading up to the event. That’s a great example of how partnerships across state organizations can help connect people to gainful employment, and we look forward to continuing these hiring events in 2024.”

OESC achieved many additional milestones in 2023, from ongoing modernization and technology improvements to enhanced experiences for employers and claimants. Below is more information on several of these key initiatives:

• Securing additional funding sources to support critical technology modernization efforts – The passage of House Bill 2456 continued the OESC Technology Fund through 2025. OESC was also successful in securing almost $30 million between federal grants and partner agency appropriations to fund ongoing tech modernization efforts.
• Excelling under the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) – For the third year in a row, OESC has outperformed other states under the RESEA federal program, resulting in additional grant funding for the agency. The program helps accelerate job placement for Oklahomans receiving unemployment benefits.
• Launching the new Employer Portal in February 2023 – As a part of ongoing efforts to support employers with modernized services, this update gives employers the ability to receive email and text notifications for Benefit Wage Charge Notices (OES-502) and Notices of Application for Unemployment Compensation (OES-617). Employers can also view each of these notices online and respond electronically to the Benefit Wage Charge Notices. The new portal allows employers to conveniently keep and track notices in one place, saving time and the expense of printing and mailing.
• Partnering with USPS for Identity Verification in July 2023 – As the second state in the nation to have a workforce agency partnership with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), Oklahoma expanded access points for people struggling with remote identity verification by allowing claimants to verify their identity in-person at a USPS location. This program expanded OESC customer service centers by 283 in-state locations overnight, followed by more than 19,000 locations across the country in order to expand capabilities and provide equitable access for those with transportation limitations, excessive travel distances or limited access to smartphones.
• Ongoing efforts to make the claims process more efficient and prevent fraudulent activity – Over the last year, the agency launched two of the nation’s leading initiatives for identity verification and fraud prevention. In addition to the partnership with USPS, OESC launched its VerifyOK system in late 2022. The system uses real-time facial recognition to enable a higher degree of accuracy with identity verification. After six months of use, Oklahoma had achieved the lowest false positive rate in the country.
• Launching the new Claim Data Look-up Tool (CDLT) in July 2023 – The tool is a simplified and modern agent-facing user interface that allows staff to find claim information more easily, creating a better customer service experience overall. This update allows staff to work more efficiently to help individuals with their claims.

Celebrating the one-year milestone of the agency’s Chief Executive Officer – CEO Trae Rahill was first appointed to lead the agency in November of 2022 and has since supported the OESC team with pleasure. From enhancing operations, to modernizing technology, to strategic alignment and partnerships, OESC is improving the way services are delivered to Oklahomans.