Oklahoma Higher Regents Chancellor Allison Garrett talks about “robot-proofing” the state’s workforce.
That’s referring to how technology will continue to evolve in the workplace. Some jobs will go away while others will be created. That’s not a new thing; it’s how societies evolve.
Oklahoma’s future prosperity depends on having the kind of industries and workforce adaptable to these changes. Based on trends, that means workers are going to need more post-high school education than in any previous generation.
Think about jobs that have gone away in just the past few decades. Garrett recalls being at Walmart when the company started putting radio frequency tags on items to speed up checkout. Now, stores have more self-checkouts than cashiers.
Other jobs have been diminished or phased out, such as turnpike toll collectors, movie rental stores, travel agents and some manufacturing work. But along came digital marketers, web developers, app creators, online jobs, data analysts and different roles in manufacturing and renewable energy.
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All industries are affected, from robotic surgeries to remote work. Even farming has more efficient equipment with auto steering, GPS mapping and automated functions in tractors, sprayers and combines. Next up could be some form of self-driving vehicles and robotic deliveries, food preparation and cleaning.
Oklahoma isn’t ready for what the future requires, but plans have been made to get there — starting with elementary education and ending with more college-educated residents.
The state can’t be miserly with its investment or think shortcuts are available. Leaders can’t be distracted by national wedge issues or believe cut-and-paste partisan legislation can solve Oklahoma’s problems.
Oklahoma is playing catch-up after a decade of substantial funding cuts to common and higher public education. Between 2008 and 2019, the higher education budget was reduced by 35.3%. Common education fell by about 28% between 2008 and 2018.
It led to a host of poor outcomes including a teacher shortage, falling academic performance and higher tuition and fees.
A common anti-higher education argument is that a person doesn’t need a degree for a job. But those jobs are the ones going way. It also downplays future technology trends and economic earnings.
Eight of the top 10 fastest growing critical occupations in the next seven years will require an associate’s degree or higher, according to the Oklahoma Office of Workforce Development. College degrees will be needed among the highest paid of those professions.
The median (meaning the middle of) annual earnings in Oklahoma for a person with a bachelor’s degree is $50,771, compared to a high school median of $31,976, according to the U.S. Census. Those with some college or an associate’s have a median earning of $37,329, and those with graduate or professional degree show $65,294 in median income.
Oklahoma trails the national average in college degreed residents. Nearly 38% of Americans have a bachelor’s degree and 48.4% hold an associate degree. In Oklahoma, 27.9% have a bachelor’s and 36% have an associate’s.
Recently, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education released a strategic plan to up college degrees to 100,000 in STEM fields and other critical occupations by 2030. Without the plan, it would hover at about 85,000 such degrees.
It falls in line with Gov. Kevin Stitt’s call for Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma to expand enrollment to 40,000 students. OSU has about 22,915 students and OU has about 31,255 students.
That kind of expansion requires funding. The state Legislature gave higher education its all-time highest allocation of $1.05 billion in fiscal year 2008, then it plummeted. This year’s request is nearly 12% higher than last year’s amount, though still $65 million less than 15 years ago.
Compared to our region, Oklahoma trails at a little more than $400 million below the average, or $3,613 less per student ($5,838 vs. $9,451).
For those who aren’t interested in college, CareerTech becomes an option for various professional certifications. It faces funding challenges, as well.
To enroll, students must meet minimum academic requirements, and current waiting lists total about 9,000 statewide. To clear the lists, it would take about $40 million.
Nearly 200 approved programs for K-12 students aren’t funded. State appropriations to CareerTech are almost 11% less than from 2010. Local ad valorem revenue in many places, including Tulsa County, has not kept pace with inflation rates.
However, its strategic plan set a goal by 2027 to increase enrollment by 25% (from 2021) and 10% jump in credentials earned (from 2020).
All of these higher education and CareerTech goals depend entirely on common education. With at least 90% of Oklahoma students attending a public school, that’s where the focus needs to be.
The Oklahoma Senate passed across-the-board pay raises for teachers ranging from from $3,000 to $6,000, based on experience. The House had approved raises of $2,500. Both could get hung up on whether private school and homeschool students get vouchers and/or tax credits.
This is still dancing around the edges. Per pupil expenditure is last in the region ($9,395 in Oklahoma vs. $11,220 regional average).
Then, there are wedge issues and respect problems. The Oklahoma House spent days last week debating the right of school officials to paddle special needs students and reducing standards for teachers to carry guns in school. The House passed a bill that would forbid providing information on sex or gender to students younger than sixth grade (so no more puberty talks).
Add to that the faux outrage over pronouns, library materials, bathroom usage and so-called “woke” teachers (in this overwhelmingly conservative state).
All of that is a waste of time — time that other states are spending more fruitfully.
It’s impossible to know what jobs will be invented in the next 20 years, but we know some current ones will become obsolete. Oklahoma has time to get its priorities straight. A good place to start is following the strategic plans and listening to those on the education and workforce frontlines.