Mayor Announces $250,000 Donation To Tulsa Workforce Development

Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett announced on Wednesday that $250,000 in donations will help expand job training and placement initiative in Tulsa.

The donation from the Common Bond Foundation will go to the Transportation Connections WorkAdvance (TCW) program.

Bartlett's office secured the donation from the Common Bond Foundation as part of an effort to promote workforce development in Tulsa, a news release said.

With the additional funding from the Common Bond Foundation, TCW will be able to train an additional 80 individuals, the mayor's office announced. Combined with funding from the George Kaiser Family Foundation, TCW will be able to assist 120 individuals advance in their careers and earn higher wages in the coming year.

TCW is a sector-focused initiative helping unemployed and underemployed Tulsans gain access to in-demand technical skills training and jobs in the transportation, manufacturing and aerospace industries at no cost.

The TCW program began serving Tulsa residents in the fall of 2011 and continues to impact the Tulsa community. Since the creation of the program, TCW has enrolled over 200 Tulsa area residents in technical skills training and has placed 247 individuals into full-time jobs with over 40 partner businesses.

"I am so thankful that the Common Bond Foundation has stepped up to deliver funding towards a program that changes lives and improves our community," Bartlett said. "These funds will allow the TCW program to expand and have an even bigger impact on Tulsa's economy."

TCW is also attracting national attention and in May 2014, the other four WorkAdvance programs from New York City, NY and Cleveland, OH will travel to Tulsa to see the best practices being used in the Transportation Connections Work Advance Program.

"Each week, I speak with Tulsa business owners about their needs and what they need from the City of Tulsa to create more jobs and build an educated and skilled workforce," Mayor Dewey Bartlett said. "I consistently hear that Tulsa does not have enough trained and qualified workers to fill jobs. As mayor, I am glad the City of Tulsa has the opportunity to be part of a program that is preparing low-income individuals for successful careers and generating trained and skilled individuals to enter Tulsa's workforce."