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With retention down in Norman, leaders look for ways to keep qualified workers
Jeff Elkins, The Norman Transcript, Okla.
5 min read
May 1—Norman is home to a large public research university, but its skilled worker pool is lacking compared to a number of comparable cities — something local business leaders aim to fix.
According to a 2016 survey by Brand Dig, Norman is perceived as a "homey, quaint and exciting college town with a fun atmosphere and good people." These qualities were reported as important to students, however they don't necessarily translate strongly to the career entry stage following graduation.
The survey of 300 University of Oklahoma students found that 46% of students would not live in Norman after graduation, and 48% indicated they would consider living in Norman among other destinations. Of the 46% that indicated they would not live in Norman following graduation, the most frequently cited reasons were a lack of job prospects, a desire to live in a larger metro, and already having a job lined up outside of town. Only 3% of respondents said they were staying in Norman following graduation.
A Market Street community assessment conducted from 2011 to 2016 suggests that Norman's ability to improve educational attainment and workforce capacity depends on the ability to successfully retain OU students upon graduation.
According to the report, four trends observed threaten Norman's success as a growing community of choice within the Oklahoma City metro area: out migration, dwindling population of people aged 25-64, declining educational attainment levels and in-migrants less educated than existing residents.
From 2011-2016, prime-aged workers 25-64 represented only 19% of population growth in Norman, compared to 42% regionally and 37% across the country.
Around 44% of adult residents have a bachelor's degree or higher, which is considerably more than the national average of 31%.
However, as a university town, Norman's educational attainment rates are lower than comparable cities. More than seven out of 10 residents in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Boulder, Colorado, home to the University of Michigan and University of Colorado, respectively, had a bachelor's degree or higher.
Local business and economic development experts are working to find the ideal ways to bolster the city's workforce. Local workforce, business and economic development experts say successfully adding jobs that will strengthen Norman's economy is a process that requires retaining and attracting skilled talent and increasing career availability through corporate collaboration.
One way Norman Economic Development Coalition president Lawrence McKinney plans to combat these trends in his plan, which is currently being developed, is through a talent attraction program.
"We have talent wellspring right here, but if you can't keep that talent here to stay, that's going to affect our workforce, and that's why a talent attraction program is really important," McKinney said.
Mckinney said he intends to tap a local expert with OU ties to help create an internship program that connects employers to students. He's currently developing the program.
Each year, students get their education at OU and go to work at some of the metro's larger employers like Paycom, Deloitte and Boeing. McKinney hopes to replenish that local talent with his plan, which he intends to finalize later this month.
Justin Morris, associate director of career services at OU, said the largest employers of graduates in Norman are Norman Public Schools and the University of Oklahoma.
As an employer relations coordinator at the university, Morris helps companies build their brand on campus by facilitating engagement opportunities with students within the different colleges at OU.
In the 2020-2021 cycle, Morris said 47% of employers of OU graduates were in-state, and 32% in Texas.
While geography is a key deciding factor in where students work after graduation, so are corporate culture and community impact, Morris said.
"When students are evaluating companies against each other, I always stress that they need to emphasize what their internal culture looks like, and what sort of resource groups they have to support employees," Morris said.
Sowmya Sridhar, co-founder of Xyant, a Norman-based tech solutions company that specializes in human capital management, has trained and placed thousands of employees in technical professions. She is now working on training focused on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
In 18 months, Xyant recruited about 450 women and veterans who are now permanent employees with Fortune 500 companies.
Morris said initiatives that incorporate sustainability and DEI are increasingly important for graduates.
Sridhar collaborated with California-based company McLaren Strategic Ventures CEO on a nonprofit program called McLaren Cares, a DEI social outreach arm. She is looking to bring that to Norman with McKinney for two reasons.
"Oklahoma is in a growth mode, and there's a hunger for digital technology transformation," Sridhar said. "Two, we have the Cherokee and Chickasaw nations which have a ton of talent that would classify as minority as well as women and veterans — that population is there."
Sridhar has taken note of the value in the professional world of these initiatives, and the local focus on economic development and commerce to bring in well-compensated tech jobs. She said a similar program to the one she helped develop in California could mean a stronger workforce in Norman.
Additionally, McKinney said he wants to create a pipeline from military bases around the state, such as Tinker Air Force Base to Norman.
"We want to create a relationship with Tinker where we can go to them on a regular basis and provide job opportunities for their soldiers that are leading, because soldiers are disciplined and have superb skills," McKinney said.
Jeff Elkins covers business, living and community stories for The Transcript. Reach him at jelkins@normantranscript.com or at @JeffElkins12 on Twitter.
