Work Ready Ponca City

Work Ready Ponca City, a division of Work Ready Oklahoma, is a free career readiness program. In Ponca City, Work Ready is facilitated through Pioneer Technology as their host agency. There are currently 22 Work Ready sites across the state. The program began in 2017, with Ponca City’s location opening in 2024. Work Ready Director Dondi Rowe is a wealth of knowledge about the good she and her staff are doing in our community.

Work Ready is geared toward helping individuals 18 and older who are looking for work and ready to invest in themselves. The Work Ready curriculum has been broken down into a free, week-long workshop to teach participants a variety of soft skills. The help Work Ready offers could be for the student who is looking for first-time employment, the stay-at-home parent looking to get back into the workforce or the employee who’s been somewhere for a long time and is looking to make a career change but doesn’t know where to start. If participants need or want further help after the initial workshop, the staff is prepared to continue working with them. Curriculum is available for a second week-long workshop to help further skills and offer more individual attention. Week two is a bonus week that builds on week one skills for those who really want to take themselves to the next level.

Rowe says in broad terms, they can help anyone who is in between jobs. They want to help participants find jobs with sustainable wages, which is defined as “$15 an hour or more with a pathway to benefits.” However, Work Ready is not a job placement agency. The classes they offer teach their participants the skills needed to place themselves in the right job. Based on what they learn about each participant during the workshop, they will give them leads that match their desires. About the workshops she adds, “We’re just happy that someone’s here to invest in themselves. We’re kind of like personal development for the job seeker.” They are here to help remove roadblocks to employment for those they serve.

Work Ready workshops are held once a month. They are Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. each day. No participant is turned away. If someone has an appointment that can’t be missed, Rowe and her staff are willing to work around that to keep the participant caught up on content. If potential participants are worried about transportation to class, the Work Ready staff can help with those roadblocks as well.

The staff at Work Ready would really like to see anyone looking for a job commit to their weeklong workshop. Week one of the program is all about teaching participants soft skills. Job Coaches can help participants create resumes that stand out in 2025. They will coach participants in interview skills that lead to job offers. Participants will do exercises to help them learn what their superpowers are and teach them how to talk about said skills with confidence during job interviews. Work Ready staff knows that finding a job can be intimidating for any number of reasons and they are here to help.

Work Ready hosts two job fairs each year, one in the spring and one in the fall. The spring Worklahoma Job Fair was held on Tuesday, May 6, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Pioneer Technology Center. This event was an opportunity for workshop participants to meet North Central Oklahoma’s top employers and apply for jobs. Work Ready planned to have over 30 employers and vendors at their spring event. Door prizes were be given away as well.

The Work Ready program is funded through TANF, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, which is a federally funded block grant. Their funding allows them to offer extra assistance to individuals with children under the age of 17. This can include basic issues that have become roadblocks to employment like job supplies or uniforms. It can also extend to short-term certification trainings in areas like welding, nursing and commercial driving. They are able to partner with Pioneer Technology Center and other educational institutions to make these trainings an option.

Work Ready can also prepare participants who want to work remotely. They partner with businesses across the state that utilize a remote workforce. They have a solid list of reliable remote work employees who provide good pay with a pathway to benefits. The remote positions they recommend are all full-time. If a participant gets a remote job but doesn’t have sufficient office space in their home, they can office out of Ponca City’s Work Ready location for up to 90 days for free.

Rowe and the group at Work Ready Ponca City are passionate about helping individuals invest in themselves so they can get the job of their dreams and live the life they want. Job Coach and Class Facilitator, Fae Rabb makes everyone feel comfortable and keeps classes fun and entertaining. Rowe says Administrative Assistant Hannah Patrick is the queen of resumes and can polish any resume up in no time at all. Job Coach, Katie Holman is great at helping people make employment connections and has years of experience in public service. Rowe and Manager, Cena O’Driscoll work behind the scenes to make sure the whole program runs smoothly.

If someone you know is in between jobs or struggling to find work, encourage them to visit the Work Ready office. Staff there are ready to welcome and help those who are ready to help themselves. Rowe shares that 88% of people who participate in their class find better employment within 90 days of completing the class. That’s 90 days away from a better life.

For more information, call the staff at Work Ready Ponca City today at (580) 718-4237 or visit them in Suite 307 of City Central, located at 400 E. Central Avenue in downtown Ponca City. You can find them online at , workreadyoklahoma.com or through social media as Work Ready, Ponca City.

➡️ Opt in or out of different newsletters on your “My Account” page.

➡️ Learn more about Ponca City Monthly+

Ponca City Monthly is a locally owned publication that delivers hyperlocal news in print and online.

Like what we are doing? Feel free to forward this along and tell a friend.

Share

Sponsorship information/customer service: email editor@poncacitymonthly.com