To spark greater economic opportunity for underemployed and unemployed workers in Oklahoma, JPMorgan Chase contributed $500,000 to support the expansion of Oklahoma City Community College’s (OCCC) Automotive Technician Program. The expansion allowed for the addition of the Honda Professional Automotive Career Training (PACT) program.

“This public-private partnership provides students with an in-demand career path for high-skill, high-wage jobs,†Governor Mary Fallin said. “By establishing this program, JPMorgan Chase and Oklahoma City Community College serve as a model for postsecondary institutions on how to work with businesses to provide wealth-generating career opportunities for Oklahoma’s students.â€

One of only 27 approved Honda training providers in the continental U.S., the two-year Honda PACT program at OCCC is the first and only program of its kind in Oklahoma. It offers students seeking a career in the automotive field the opportunity to “earn while you learn,†allowing full-time students to earn full-time wages while working toward a college degree and enhanced career opportunities.

“Partnership with the business community is an essential success factor in achieving our workforce development goals, and this partnership with JPMorgan Chase has helped us exceed our goals with our automotive programs,†said OCCC President Jerry Steward.

Now entering the second year of the PACT program, OCCC is experiencing zero attrition. All of the students who started the program are expected to complete graduation in the spring of 2019.

“We are incredibly excited for the resources JPMorgan Chase is providing students. The graduates of the program will enter Oklahoma’s workforce as highly skilled professionals which offers a much better potential for a prosperous future for them and their families,†Steward said. “JPMorgan Chase has proven an eager partner in prosperity for OCCC’s students, the community and the state of Oklahoma; this would not be possible without their generous gift.â€

OCCC leadership regularly consults labor market information and feedback from employers to identify new pathways that lead to good paying jobs. Auto maintenance is a priority sector in Oklahoma as the job market is growing much faster than the national average according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“Helping people develop the skills they need to compete for today’s jobs can transform lives and strengthen economies,†said David Page, vice chairman of JPMorgan Chase in Oklahoma. “Even as the national and global economy improve, economically vulnerable young people are being left behind. Without the right skills and the right education, too many young people entering the labor market find themselves stuck in low-skill, low-wage jobs – or worse – unemployed and out of school.â€

To address critical workforce issues around the world, JPMorgan Chase has invested more than $350 million to support skill building and job training. This includes $75 million in New Skills for Youth, a program designed to increase the number of young people who successfully complete career training that begins in high school and aligns with well-paying careers.