Public higher education plays a vital role in meeting Oklahoma’s workforce development goals. The majority of our state’s critical occupations require a college degree, yet our level of educational attainment remains well below the national average.

This puts Oklahoma at a disadvantage in attracting new businesses and helping our existing employers grow. To compete nationally, we need more residents with a college degree.

To address this workforce challenge, Oklahoma needs a solid roadmap — a comprehensive plan within which objectives are forged, strengths and challenges are studied, strategies are identified and performance benchmarks are set.

That’s why the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education recently approved a new strategic plan to guide the state system of higher education over the next several years. “Blueprint 2030: Innovating and Elevating Oklahoma Higher Education for Tomorrow’s Workforce“ looks ahead to our state’s bright future, which requires a responsive, forward-thinking, data-driven public higher education system.

Read more at The Tulsa World.