State Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola, helped welcome other lawmakers to Pryor Public Schools in his House District 8 this morning to get a closer look at the district’s successful workforce development programs offered to students from elementary to high school.

“Pryor Schools is doing a fantastic job of preparing students not just for higher levels of learning but equipping them with the practical skills they will need to one day join the workforce,” Gann said. “Having a trained and ready workforce strengthens our communities and helps us build a better state going forward.”

State Rep. Rhonda Baker, R-Yukon, chair of the House Common Education Committee, recommended the tour after inviting Pryor Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Don Raleigh to participate in an interim study she hosted in August at the state Capitol.

The study in part examined work-ready initiatives that help prepare students for the workforce once they graduate.

“In order for Oklahoma to be a Top 10 state in terms of economy and quality of living, we must be able to attract top employers that offer higher-paying jobs,” Baker said. “To do this, we must have students that are adequately prepared to enter the workforce. When I heard of the programs offered at Pryor Schools that give students hands-on experience in a number of career-related fields, I knew we should learn more.”

Raleigh said he wanted to show lawmakers several of the programs in his district that help introduce students to various career paths and give older students some work experience before they graduate.

Lawmakers first toured the Third Graders Go to Work program available in all Mayes County Elementary Schools.

 The initiative started in 1999 by the local Chamber of Commerce. It pairs local businesses with third-grade classrooms. Business leaders come and speak to the students about the various jobs available in their companies. Students follow a curriculum, and they get to visit the business and help run operations for a day.

“We’ve had a good response with this program,” Raleigh said, “It helps get kids started thinking about what careers are out there.”

The next stop was the Sixth Grade Biz Town in which students set up facades for businesses in a town of their creation. The town might contain restaurants, banks and a variety of different businesses. Local business leaders visit and interview students for various jobs. Once a student is “hired,” he or she gets to run the business for a day. They then receive feedback from the business leaders.

Raleigh also showed the lawmakers his district’s elementary Science Technology Math and Engineering (STEM) labs.