The Guthrie Chamber of Commerce, Meridian Technology Center, and the City of Guthrie have been awarded a collaborative grant of $100,000 from the Oklahoma Office of Workforce Development (OOWD). This funding will support the planning and launch of training programs to build the local film and television industry’s workforce through Meridian Technology Center’s new South Division Campus.

Guthrie is known as one of the state’s most film-friendly communities. Growing the capacity and capability of the workforce in the area will further boost economic development in Guthrie, as well as the entire state. “We truly value our unique experiences with film production and we are excited to utilize this grant to capitalize on the opportunity of growing our workforce base in film & TV,” said City of Guthrie’s City Manager, Leroy Alsup. “Thanks to the Guthrie Chamber of Commerce for acting as the program manager for this collaboration with City of Guthrie and Meridian Tech, and thanks to Meridian for making this a priority for their new South Division campus,” said Alsup.

The Film Industry Sector Partnership will better position the local area, region and state of Oklahoma to compete for television and movie productions. According to the Oklahoma Film and Music Office, within recent months, the seven productions simultaneously working in Oklahoma have struggled to find local crews. The industry and its members cannot afford to lose opportunities moving forward. The vision of the partnership is to create a model which will be viewed as a Center of Excellence for the film & television industry and a formula for workforce development throughout the state. 

The Guthrie Industry Sector Partnership was one of only five projects selected out of a competitive applicant pool from around the state. “The Sector Partnership Grants continue the Governor’s Council and the Office of Workforce Development’s commitment to expanding business-led solutions to workforce challenges in the state,” said Executive Director Don Morris. “These grants provide an opportunity for industry to identify specific needs and work side-by-side with education, economic and workforce development, and community partners to solve local and regional problems.” Other selected projects include workforce development for solar energy and battery technology, manufacturing, logistics, supply chain and transportation. For more information please visit okcommerce.gov.