Oklahoma Senate
Sen. Ford says bills would increase the number of Oklahomans with industry certification.
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Sen. John Ford
Senate approves ‘Oklahoma’s Career Promise Act’
Sen. John Ford
The Senate has given its approval to a measure expanding the state’s landmark scholarship program, Oklahoma’s Promise. Senate Education Chairman John Ford is the principal author of SB 432, creating ‘Oklahoma’s Career Promise Act,’ expanding Oklahoma’s Promise program to cover 100 percent of tuition and fees for students pursuing industry certification in five specific areas of the economy. Those areas include aerospace and defense, energy, agriculture and biosciences, information and financial services, and transportation and distribution.
“The Department of Commerce identified these five areas as having the greatest potential in terms of higher personal earning and high growth potential—these are also areas where Oklahoma is the most competitive,” Ford said. “Getting more people certified to fill these jobs will boost per capita earnings in our state and help attract even more jobs.”
Ford, who represents Nowata, Rogers and Washington counties, said Oklahoma’s Career Promise Act would require an additional $10 million in funding, but said it was an investment that was critical for the future of the state. The senator said the days when a high school diploma was all a person needed to get a good job were long past. He said creating a way to help more Oklahomans gain industry certification would not only help individuals succeed, but would grow Oklahoma’s economy.
“In the next few years, 30 percent of the best jobs will require a bachelor degree or higher, and 50 percent will require an associate degree or industry certificate—that means fully 80 percent of those jobs will require education beyond high school,” Ford said. “The sooner we can begin educating Oklahomans to fill those positions, the more competitive they’re going to be—and having an educated workforce will make our state even more attractive for the companies in those high-growth, high-paying areas.”
SB 432 now moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration.
Contact info
Sen. Ford: (405) 521-5632
