The Tulsa Regional Chamber joined more than a half-dozen employers Friday to promote a shared mission, which is keeping the city’s emerging young professionals in Tulsa. 

Presented by Luxa Enterprises, the Chamber’s second HR Forum of the year was a networking-style luncheon that included local interns, as well as externs from the organization’s NEXTGEN-Tulsa’s Next Generation of Talent initiative. 

Participating HR professionals rotated through a speed networking format, giving overviews of their companies and industries. 

In turn, externs and interns shared their career interests and provided feedback on how employers can better engage and attract early-career workers. 

In its fifth year, the NEXTGEN program pairs Black high school students with local companies and provides three weeks of career exploration and experiential learning. 

Its aim is to retain diverse talent for the Tulsa region and assist companies in expanding their diverse talent pipeline.

This year’s NEXTGEN cohort, spearheaded by Rue Ramsey, the Chamber’s vice president of workforce and talent strategies, features a record 36 externs and a six-member executive leadership team. A total of 18 local employers are participating. 

Alexis Roberts, who works at Sand Springs-based manufacturer Webco Industries, said she found Friday’s event beneficial. 

“We are working on a year-round internship program,” she said. “A lot of these students that she (Rue) already has a relationship with, they could come and work for us if they live in the Tulsa area. It would be very easy for us to connect. I think this is very valuable.”