PONCA CITY IS ABOVE AVERAGE.....and now we have the ACT Scores to prove it.   Two hundred of the 28,682 students that took the ACT this year in Oklahoma were from Ponca City.  Reading  took the high score for  Ponca City, but the college algebra readiness level was above state averages;  And  biology was  even higher.  Reading, writing and 'rithmatic,check.   Job Well Done to the students taking the ACTs.  Parents: Good job for getting your students to school and to the testing site.  Teachers: Great job on your work in the classroom.  Tutors and after school programs:  Keep up the good work.  For those students looking to get some hands on training and a certification in an "In demand" occupation, check out the HVAC program getting ready to start at Pioneer Technology Center. Just keep reading.

NOT OUR KIND OF TOWN...although apparently Chicago is the kind of towns that a lot of site consultants like. These are the (alleged) humans who help companies decide where they need to locate their businesses. Site consultants like to set up shop in big cities with airports that can fly them anywhere with minimal stops. PCDA is guessing here that O'Hare fills that bill (never mind the old saw "If you've got time to spare, go through O'Hare."). The Windy City is also home to some of these critters specializing in working with companies seeking locations for call centers and back office operations that could fit nicely in a certain building across the street from Enriques. The home of the Cubs is also the home of the University of Chicago and the Chicago School of Economics so the business community in the City is very up to speed on economic trends and opportunities. It doesn't hurt to pick their brains. PCDA did just that this week, along with several other Oklahoma communities, meetin and greetin these (allegedly) fine folks. Not only does this give us the opportunity to show them what we have to sell today, it also helps us make the friends we will need in the future when they figure out that life on the Ryan Expressway is not all it's cracked up to be. There are some uncomfortable business people in Illinois these days. Aren't we just the sweetest people (allegedly) for showing them an alternative?  

PoncaWorks has been on the road this week, starting out with a trip out to Guymon, Oklahoma.  In Guymon, two PCDA staffers and two traveling buddies invested in the Ponca City workforce, all got a crash course on a workforce far different from Ponca City's. Guymon is incredibly diverse, and the traveling four heard about the town's diversity outreach programs, employee recruitment and retention efforts and housing strategies. Also this week, two different PCDA staffers attended a hiring fair in Tulsa, and met a few excellent candidates for Ponca City job opportunities. A successful week in the PoncaWorks book! 

And now before we head back to work recruiting those people from Tulsa and implementing those ideas from Guymon, a few things we've learned: 1) Everyone loves Head Country BBQ sauce. Especially when they get a free sample of it! 2) People in Oklahoma are just super nice folks and we are thankful they're willing to share their wisdom and experiences with us. 3) It really is a small world. One of our hosts in Guymon has a brother that just moved to Ponca City for work.  Do YOU know of anyone looking to move for employment? Contact Sarah at 580-765-7070 or slinn@goponca.com.