New Education Goal Announced by Governor Fallin

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Knowing that education is as important in oil and gas as it is to the wind industry, the governor has announced a goal in Oklahoma to increase post-secondary education and training attainment.

Called Launch Oklahoma, Gov. Mary Fallin’s new goal is 70 percent of Oklahoma’s residents, ages 25-to-64 to complete a postsecondary degree, certificate or credential by the year 2025.  Currently, 40 percent of Oklahoma’s residents now have that level of education or training.

“Projections show that in 2015, 77 percent of the state’s new labor market will require greater than a high school diploma, highlighting the critical need for higher education,” said the Governor. “The workplace is changing rapidly with the growth of technology and it is vital that today’s students possess the skills to meet this reality.”

If her goal of 70 percent is to be attained, it means nearly 600,000 workers will need a post-secondary degree, certificate or other high-quality credential in just eight years.

To meet the governor’s goal, state agencies, educators, businesses and workforce partners will collaborate during the next several months to create a strategic plan to increase overall education attainment. The plan is due to the governor by Nov. 1, 2017.