Helping connect people to the job opportunities offered by the great companies at Tulsa Ports is part of the mission of the Port Authority. Partnerships and collaborations help us achieve that mission.

A few years ago, Tulsa Ports teamed up with Tulsa Technology Center to create an entry-level training program cleverly called “Port~Ability.”  This free training program helps give people the skills they need to get an entry-level job in manufacturing and other industries located at the Port. This training offers OSHA 10, First Aid & CPR, introduction to shop math, blueprint reading, and a general overview of manufacturing accompanied with employability skills training. By partnering with the companies at the Port to create this training program, people who participate in the class have a clearer path to employment at a Port-located company.

Finding people to enroll in the class can be a challenge, but our partnership with Goodwill Career Services has helped to make this program successful. This joint venture has enabled more people to learn about and enroll in the class. The Goodwill Career Services Center, located at 1665 South Yale Ave in Tulsa, exists to empower individuals in the community to achieve their goals by establishing pathways to meaningful, sustainable careers. That is exactly what is offered by the companies located at the Port.

Since starting this partnership earlier this year, more people have been enrolling in the Port~Ability program. One of those people is Denise Boyd.

Denise went to the Goodwill Career Center to seek help improving her resume. After several years in the construction industry, she was looking for the next step in her career. She heard about the Port~Ability class through the Goodwill Career Center and decided to give it a try.

Denise said she was familiar with many of the things the training offered, but she was also able to learn many new things through the class. She felt like it was a good refresher for her. On the last day of the Port~Ability class, the students had the opportunity to interview with companies located in the Port. Denise came to the interview that day ready to work. She was dressed appropriately, had great questions to ask the interviewers, and most importantly, had a great attitude. These attributes that Denise displayed helped her grab the attention of the Operations Manager and Assistant Superintendent at Viterra.

Viterra operates an industry-leading network of local grain elevators with international destination markets, special crops facilities, processing plants and port terminals across the globe. At the Tulsa Port of Catoosa, they buy and sell wheat and soybeans, which come into the Port by truck and rail and are shipped out by barge.

Mark Bumbulsky, Operations Manager, and George Dane Upky, Assistant Operations Manager, both from Viterra, were so impressed with Denise, they offered her a position. Denise said she felt an instant connection during the interview and is now working full-time at Viterra in a position that is all new to her! Denise shared that she is enjoying the opportunity to learn new things, and she is even learning how to operate their locomotive!

We’re grateful for our community partnerships that make stories like Denise’s possible!