Funding will empower hundreds of Oklahomans returning from incarceration to build digital fluency, gain high-demand skills, and access upwardly mobile employment
Claire Gross, Sr. Manager of Public Relations
cgross@ceoworks.org | (646) 370-8292
Oklahoma City, OK–November 10, 2025–The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) is proud to announce a transformative funding from Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, to expand advanced career training opportunities and digital fluency for justice-impacted individuals across Oklahoma. This support will help ensure hundreds of Oklahomans returning from incarceration are not left behind in the evolving job market.
This initiative seeks to achieve three goals to reach thousands of Oklahomans: enroll CEO participants in advanced training programs by covering tuition and providing supplemental income for the duration of the course; deliver AI curriculum CEO participants and staff, building foundational tech knowledge and responsible AI usage; and host career fairs reaching hundreds of returning Oklahomans, with opportunities for upwardly mobile career paths.
“When people walk into a CEO office, they are motivated to learn about new technologies, but need dedicated support to use them to their advantage,” said Sam Schaeffer, Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Employment Opportunities. “As a reentry organization focused on opening doors to employment, we have a responsibility to lead the charge for equity in the usage of AI and unlock its potential to serve the justice-impacted population. CEO is grateful for Google.org’s generosity and commitment to helping people returning from incarceration overcome barriers to employment, so they can rebuild their lives.”
“We must make sure that the opportunities created by technology are available to all Oklahomans,” said Robert Barron-Pryce, Google.org Giving Manager at Google. “We’re proud to support the vital work CEO is doing to remove barriers for justice-impacted Oklahomans, empowering them with the AI skills and career support necessary to rebuild their lives and unlock opportunity for the state.”
Oklahoma is home to over 23,000 incarcerated individuals and boasts one of the highest incarceration rates in the country: 563 per 100,000 people (the US average rate is 355 per 100,000 people). Every year, hundreds of justice-impacted Oklahomans walk into a CEO office looking for a fair chance and a better future. Often, they face immense barriers to reentry, including limited access to vocational training, employer bias, and systemic obstacles to economic stability. Nationally, nearly 60% of people remain unemployed a year after release.
Advanced vocational training in high-demand fields, such as welding, machining, or commercial driving, is a successful launchpad for lasting and sustainable careers, especially for people returning home. After enrolling in an advanced training program, participants have seen income growth of 25-30%. But the cost of these programs can range from $3,000 to $30,000 and require time commitments that many people who live paycheck to paycheck can’t afford. With Google.org’s funding, the CEO will not only be able to cover the cost of programs for participants but also provide stipends for rent, groceries, and transportation.
CEO is committed to preparing its participants to be competitive in the job market. In June 2022, CEO worked with Grow with Google to integrate digital skills training into CEO job-readiness programming at all 31 locations across the country. Today, once again with Google’s support, the CEO is championing AI implementation for both staff and program participants. Through this work with Google.org, returning Oklahomans will learn how to harness the power of AI for their own career growth.
The initiative also aims to boost staff capacity and efficiency by training frontline workers on AI tools like Google Gemini, ensuring that digital transformation enhances—not hinders—direct support services. By embedding AI training into CEO’s evidence-based employment model, the organization is forging a new standard for inclusive workforce development.
Through anchor partnerships with Oklahoma State University and the Oklahoma City Thunder, CEO will host statewide job fairs and outreach events to expand visibility, reduce stigma, and amplify the importance of fair chance hiring.
This funding is part of Google’s broader commitment to preparing Oklahoma's businesses and communities for the next wave of AI innovation. At the “AI Business Summit” hosted this month, Google announced significant funding for organizations like CEO to create a virtuous cycle of tech opportunity and workforce readiness.
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The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) provides immediate, effective, and comprehensive employment services exclusively to people recently released from incarceration. CEO currently operates in more than 30 cities across 12 states and is dedicated to ensuring that justice-impacted individuals have opportunities to achieve socioeconomic mobility. For more information, visit ceoworks.org.