Tulsa Designated As ‘Tech Hub,’ Predicted To Add 56,000 Jobs Over 10 Years

The U.S. Economic Development Administration recently designated Tulsa as a Tech Hub.

Experts said Tulsa is on track to add 56,000 tech jobs over 10 years.

News On 6 looked into how educational programs are keeping up with the growing demand.

Atlas School and Tulsa Innovation Labs are next to each other downtown and both focused on helping people get their next tech job.

They said Tulsa has all the ingredients needed to be a Tech Hub.

"There's not really an industry anymore that tech doesn't touch, and we want to be able to supply those people with those technical skills to go into those areas, different workforces,” said Silas Ellis, who works in career services at Atlas School.

He said Atlas started in 2020 with just 15 students and now has 170 current students and 143 graduates.

Garrison Shoemake finished the program at Atlas in just a year and a half.

"I'm doing project management in information technology, but it was all the skills I learned here at Atlas that landed me that job,” said Shoemake. “I'm able to collaborate with those teams, I know what they're talking about. I know what they're doing."

Other initiatives and partners, like Tulsa Innovation Labs, work with the public and private sectors to develop a city-wide strategy that helps Tulsa become a tech hub.

"Because these legacy industries that our community's rooted in - energy, aerospace, and of course, traditionally manufacturing - they all have to innovate, right, to really maintain their business practices, to continue growing themselves,” said Jennifer Hankins with Tulsa Innovation Labs.

Hankins said Tulsa's not trying to be the next Silicon Valley, but rather bring tech to Tulsa time.

"This is not about building a new Tulsa,” said Hankins. “It's how do we reimagine Tulsa and position ourselves for the future."

Tulsa Innovation Labs said it is creating jobs that pay an annual average of $67,000, which is more than both the national and Tulsa average income.