Today, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC), Oklahoma CareerTech and the Oklahoma State Department of Education announced that a delegation from Oklahoma recently returned from a mission to Germany focused on bridging the gap between education and employment. The goal is to implement and improve the quality of Oklahoma programs in the areas of apprenticeships, workforce retention, and attraction. The trip was hosted by the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern U.S. (GACC South).

“Oklahoma’s future depends on how well we create education pathways that lead to real career opportunities,” said Heather Turner, Deputy CEO of Commerce and Executive Director of CORE. “By learning from Germany’s successful apprenticeship model, we can strengthen our workforce pipeline and prepare Oklahomans for high-quality and high-demand careers. This collaboration allows us to align education, business and community partners around a shared goal of building a workforce ready to power our state’s economic growth for generations to come.”

While in Germany, the Oklahoma delegation participated in a series of site visits and discussions with key stakeholders from companies in major industries, including energy, aerospace, automotive and manufacturing. Each business provided the delegation with insight into their apprenticeship programs and other workforce retention efforts. More than 70% of trainees continue their professional career in the company where they received their vocational training.

“As German Chambers of Commerce Abroad (AHK) worldwide, and here at GACC South – German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern U.S., Inc., we’re proud to promote and implement this system internationally and look forward to exploring what this proven approach could bring to the State of Oklahoma,” said Matthias Hoffmann, GACC South President & CEO. “Beyond technical excellence, these exchanges also strengthen the personal connections that make international cooperation thrive. That human dimension came to life throughout our journey. They were warmly welcomed by all our hosts, showing the true spirit of transatlantic friendship.”

The delegation also had the opportunity to visit EGA Leichtmetall, the Emirates Global Aluminium location in Hannover, Germany. There, EGA officials shared in-site into workforce development and training programs. In May, EGA announced a $4 billion project in Oklahoma that is expected to create 1,000 new jobs.

“Germany has a longstanding history of workforce apprenticeships with a direct connection between the worlds of education and industry,” said Dr. Romel Muex-Pullen, Oklahoma State Department of Education Deputy Superintendent. “It was immensely insightful to have firsthand accounts from both apprentices and employers on the relationship that exits between the education and business systems. As a state, there is so much that we can take from the strong apprenticeship model that exits in Germany. I look forward to the future collaborative conversations that will come from this multi-agency exploration and seeing how we can grow the apprenticeship model in our state to provide strong career paths and to continue to strengthen the state’s economy.”

Other companies the Oklahoma Delegation visited include:

• Uniper SE
• Lufthansa Technik
• Airbus
• Volkswagen

“Preparing people for success isn’t just a phrase written on the wall in our mission statement. It’s what we do every day,” said Brent Haken, Oklahoma CareerTech Director. “Part of that work is continuously learning how we can better serve Oklahoma businesses. This trip allowed collaboration among the agencies that support Oklahoma’s workforce and gave us a shared vision for how we can do even more. I’m so proud to be part of a group that’s learning how to use apprenticeships as a powerful tool in our education system.”

“I’m so honored to be on the team that gets to share Oklahoma with the world. There are so many great things happening here, it’s easy to attract businesses and build relationships,” said Trae Rahill, CEO of the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission. “The companies that graciously hosted us in Germany provided valuable insights on their apprenticeship model, where students earn while they learn inside real company environments. We are positioned well to try some of what we learned, and already have top-notch industry partners that will help us. Should be an exciting year ahead!”