OKCPS outlines career-focused 'flex spaces,' internships and transportation needs tied to 2022 bond

Oklahoma City Public Schools staff presented an update on workforce development at the board's Feb. 24 work session, describing steps to create career-lined “flex spaces” at six high schools, early internship pilots and a set of priorities intended to move career-pathway programming from planning into scalable implementation.

Presenters said the workforce work stems from a bond measure approved in February 2022 that funds six flex spaces; inside each flex space the district will host career-aligned programs that offer certifications and employability skills. “We will be standing up six flex spaces on six high schools,” a presenter said in the update.

Staff described three internship models the district is piloting: - An external three-week rotation in commercial construction called Construct My Future that treated students as rotating apprentices on job sites. Presenters said 37 juniors and seniors at Capitol Hill and Northwest Classen are in the current pilot, with 15 construction companies and four trade associations participating; district leaders said they expect to expand to four to six high schools and about 90 students next year. - Internal, school-based internships such as a teacher-prep internship at Southeast High School that places a student in math classrooms under teacher supervision and involves participation in PLCs. - A partnership with the Central Oklahoma Workforce Innovation Board (COWIB) to place paid internships at Grant High School and provide stipend support and follow-up services in the “thirteenth year” after graduation for continued job coaching.

District leaders shared student profiles used as examples. The presentation included a short video and testimony from a senior (identified as Renee) who rotated through construction sites, completed safety and financial-literacy training, and was positioned to enter union apprenticeship or employment pathways at program completion. The district also highlighted a Southeast student (Ava) in a teacher-prep internship who was teaching lessons and participating in math PLCs.

Administrators identified priority needs to scale the model: site-level career navigators at each high school to coordinate programming and community partners; transportation to ensure students who lack personal transportation can access off-site internships; post-graduation employment coordination and stronger referral pathways into MetroTech and other career training; and sustainability strategies so partnerships and funding persist beyond pilot windows.

Board members commended the early pilots and asked about outreach and equity. Trustees pressed how the district will ensure underrepresented families and non-English-speaking households learn about and access programs; communications staff and presenters said the district will use multiple outreach channels (school-based family nights, social media, translated materials and community partner networks) and site-level knowledge of families to reach parents.

Asked about federal funding and sustainability, presenters referenced COWIB and other federal grant streams as part of a broader funding strategy but said long-term sustainability will also depend on employer partnerships and district planning. Several trustees asked for follow-up materials and future videos to show interns’ progress; presenters agreed to provide updated videos and continued status reports.