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From Job Fair to Better Pay in Oklahoma City · The 405 Payroll

• 0:14
  You know, I, I, I hit submit on a job portal once, back when I was trying to get out
• 0:19
  of overnight radio, and I swear...
• 0:21
  I think that resume is still floating in low Earth orbit.
• 0:25
  Just lost in space.
• 0:28
  It really does feel like a total black hole, doesn't it?
• 0:31
  You spend hours fine tuning a cover letter, upload it into some algorithm,
• 0:36
  and then...
• 0:37
  absolute silence.
• 0:40
  But according to state workforce data, there is a way to bypass that whole digital
• 0:45
  void entirely.
• 0:46
  Okay, so what are we talking about here?
• 0:50
  Real human beings actually talking to candidates?
• 0:54
  Exactly.
• 0:55
  Direct walk in hiring events.
• 0:58
  Take the upcoming Oklahoma Works job fair coming up at 5005 North Lincoln Boulevard
• 1:03
  in Oklahoma City.
• 1:05
  Employers like Standby Personnel, Utility Asset Management,
• 1:09
  and Goodwill Central Oklahoma are literally setting up tables in the office to do
• 1:14
  on-site interviews.
• 1:16
  Wait, on the spot?
• 1:18
  Like, you walk in with paper resumes and you could leave with an actual offer?
• 1:23
  That is the goal.
• 1:25
  Multiple local hiring partners, including Employbridge and Oklahoma Human Services,
• 1:31
  show up ready to screen people right there.
• 1:34
  And we are looking at starting hourly wages generally running from $16.50 to $18.50
• 1:39
  per hour for many of these entry roles.
• 1:43
  See, that...
• 1:43
  that changes the timeline completely.
• 1:46
  Because if you're out of work right now, waiting three weeks for an email automated
• 1:51
  reply...
• 1:52
  that's brutal.
• 1:53
  Same day interviews chop down the gap to that first paycheck big time.
• 1:58
  It does, but...
• 2:00
  er, here is where the tension comes in, Miles.
• 2:03
  A lot of these quick hire positions at job fairs are staffing agency spots or temp
• 2:08
  to hire placements.
• 2:10
  And I, I really have to push back on the idea that job seekers should automatically
• 2:15
  jump at the first quick offer.
• 2:17
  Wait, why not?
• 2:19
  Cash in hand beats sitting on the couch waiting for a dream offer,
• 2:22
  right?
• 2:23
  Not if taking a temp role at $16.50 without health insurance locks you into a cycle
• 2:30
  where you can't afford to look for a permanent direct hire job that offers full
• 2:35
  benefits from day one.
• 2:37
  You trade immediate survival for long term security.
• 2:41
  Ah, okay, look, I, I get the theory, Claire, I really do.
• 2:46
  But when rent is due on the first, theoretical benefits don't keep the lights on.
• 2:52
  Trust me on this one.
• 2:54
  My very first morning radio gig paid absolute peanuts.
• 2:59
  I had to take a graveyard shift filling vending machines just to cover my half of
• 3:03
  the apartment.
• 3:05
  Vending machines?
• 3:06
  Really?
• 3:07
  Oh yeah.
• 3:08
  Restocking chips at three in the morning.
• 3:11
  Was it my dream career trajectory?
• 3:14
  Absolutely not.
• 3:15
  But it paid cash immediately, which gave me the breathing room to keep doing the
• 3:20
  radio show until a full time position opened up.
• 3:24
  So for you, taking the immediate income wasn't a trap, it was a bridge.
• 3:29
  Exactly.
• 3:31
  A bridge.
• 3:32
  You use the quick $16.50 or $18.00 an hour job to stop the financial bleeding,
• 3:38
  but you don't turn off your brain.
• 3:40
  You keep looking for the next step up.
• 3:43
  And that next step is really the core of building actual stability.
• 3:48
  Because staying at $16.50 per hour indefinitely leaves you completely exposed if an
• 3:54
  emergency hits.
• 3:55
  Which brings us to how you escalate those wages into something sustainable.
• 4:00
  Right, because going from $16.00 an hour to, say, $25.00 an hour usually requires
• 4:06
  some kind of new skill or certification.
• 4:09
  But training costs money.
• 4:12
  Not necessarily out of pocket.
• 4:15
  That is the detail a lot of people miss.
• 4:18
  Metro Tech in Oklahoma City runs a program called EMPOWER.
• 4:22
  And it specifically targets adults who need upskilling.
• 4:26
  Wait, so how is it funded?
• 4:29
  Is this another student loan situation?
• 4:31
  No loans.
• 4:32
  Metro Tech utilizes grant funding provided through Oklahoma Human Services to cover
• 4:38
  tuition, career planning, and job placement assistance for eligible participants.
• 4:43
  Zero student debt?
• 4:45
  Okay, now that is huge.
• 4:48
  What kind of timeline are we talking about for these certifications?
• 4:51
  We are looking at short term training programs, many running roughly 12 to 16 weeks,
• 4:57
  often with evening schedules.
• 4:59
  So you can work that daytime job we were just talking about,
• 5:02
  take evening classes in technical fields or skilled trades,
• 5:06
  and bump your earning potential up from $16.50 to upwards of $23.00 or even $25.00
• 5:13
  per hour.
• 5:14
  Man...
• 5:15
  12 to 16 weeks.
• 5:17
  That is...
• 5:18
  what, four months of grinding at night to permanently boost your income by seven or
• 5:23
  eight bucks an hour?
• 5:25
  That return on investment is wild.
• 5:28
  It really is.
• 5:30
  But let's be realistic about the friction.
• 5:33
  Balancing a full time job, night classes, and family commitments for four months is
• 5:38
  heavy.
• 5:40
  If a family is struggling to keep up with utility bills during those months,
• 5:44
  stress can force them to drop out.
• 5:46
  Right, if you can't pay electric this month, four months from now feels like a
• 5:51
  million miles away.
• 5:53
  Precisely.
• 5:54
  Which is why connecting workforce training with community support is critical.
• 6:00
  Organizations like the Community Action Agency of Oklahoma City,
• 6:03
  or CAAOK, offer emergency rent and utility support.
• 6:09
  Pairing that temporary relief with a Metro Tech grant program keeps the household
• 6:14
  stable while you finish the course.
• 6:16
  It's like building a real safety net so you can actually focus on climbing up,
• 6:21
  instead of just trying not to fall.
• 6:24
  That is the exact mindset.
• 6:26
  So if you are listening right now and feeling stuck in that online application loop,
• 6:32
  there is an immediate move you can make today.
• 6:35
  Don't just sit there refreshing your inbox, right?
• 6:38
  Reach out directly.
• 6:40
  Exactly.
• 6:41
  Call the Metro Tech EMPOWER team to check grant eligibility,
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  or head down to the Oklahoma Works office at 5005 North Lincoln Boulevard to meet
• 6:50
  recruiters face to face.
• 6:52
  Get the immediate income flowing, put the training plan in place,
• 6:56
  and take control of the timeline.
• 6:59
  Well said.
• 7:00
  No more sending resumes into outer space.
• 7:03
  Good stuff today, Claire.
• 7:05
  Talk to you next time.