Business leaders should be investing in education because when they begin recruiting employees one of the first questions the recruits ask is, where will my kids go to school? So businesses are looking for communities in which there are many educational opportunities for recruits’ kids and also that potential employee themselves. When the schools in any given area are failing it’s difficult to get people to want to move there. Oklahoma is growing and families are coming to join our economy and communities, and those families are looking to our state for educational opportunities. Choice, transparency and accountability all collaborating with the business community results in better outcomes. Oklahoma’s workforce has to be able to take on the opportunities of today and also face the challenges of the future.
My high school partnered with a technology company and had the tech employees mentor our math classes. They shared real world examples about how math was being applied in their industry. Business leaders must help train an educated workforce in mission critical areas like engineering and health care. As an entrepreneur, I’m confident that my kids can have a brighter future here because EKCO is uniting business leaders, parents and teachers to work together.
In my role, I want to encourage a proactive view of the education environment to recruit talent.
When we’re creating many pathways to success for all students, we’re providing them a better future and a reason to stay and grow in Oklahoma. Kids have many different interests and when we give them a pathway to success in that field and they see how they can apply that interest to a job and make a career out of it, then they see the potential, and they get excited.
Sincerely,
Mike Robins
Business Engagement Director
