Oklahoma Talent Accelerator Reaches Early Milestone, Expands Workforce Transformation Effort

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma's Talent Accelerator has reached a major milestone just months after launching. To date, 15 employers have enrolled in the program, including 13 small and mid-sized businesses. Companies utilizing the grant include Goodyear, Kimberly-Clark, Frontier Electronic Systems, and Federal Thermal.

Across these organizations, an estimated $2 million of the program's $6 million federal grant already committed to help employers train and upskill their workforces, with opportunity for additional employers to tap into these high-impact funds. The program is a key initiative under Oklahoma's broader Workforce Transformation strategy and is helping employers build the skilled workforce needed for the state's fastest-growing industries.

The workforce initiative is led by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission and has operationalized through a partnership with Guild, a workforce development company.

So far, more than 50 Oklahoma employers have expressed interest in the program, along with engagement from multiple economic development organizations, CareerTech campuses, workforce partners, and other organizations across the state. Together, they are working to identify workforce needs and connect businesses with training opportunities.

Supported by a $6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, the Talent Accelerator helps employers offset up to 80% of eligible training costs in aerospace and defense, advanced manufacturing, and AI infrastructure. The initiative connects employers, workers, and training providers to create industry-driven training solutions that strengthen Oklahoma's workforce pipeline.

"This milestone shows employers are ready to invest in their people when the right resources are available," said Lisa Boyd, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships with Guild. "We're seeing businesses of all sizes step forward because they recognize that developing talent and ensuring they have the skills they need to adapt and succeed is one of the smartest investments they can make."

The Talent Accelerator is one of several initiatives supporting Oklahoma's Workforce Transformation strategy, which focuses on aligning workforce, education, and economic development to meet employer demand and create more opportunities for Oklahomans.

"This is exactly what Workforce Transformation is about, working directly with employers to solve workforce challenges instead of asking them to solve them alone," said DeDe Smith, Vice President of Workforce Services at OESC. "The response we've seen from employers across Oklahoma tells us we're moving in the right direction, and we're just getting started."

Employers can learn more or sign up at www.guild.com/oktalent.