Human resources professional Mike Rothlein wades into the talent pool daily and finds that recruits commonly lack two attributes: reliability and initiative.
“We’re taking chances on individuals with zero to two years’ experience,” said Rothlein, director of talent management at Tulsa-based aerospace company NORDAM. “We’re willing to open that door. But if they can’t show up consistently on a daily basis, we’re out.”
Rothlein shared his views on skills gaps Tuesday at the Tulsa Regional Chamber’s Talent Connect series, which examined the in-demand field of avionics technicians at Tulsa Tech’s Lemley Campus.
The commercial aviation industry will need to hire 123,000 aviation maintenance technicians in North America through 2044, according to a forecast in Boeing's widely cited Pilot and Technician Outlook.
Avionics technicians install, test, troubleshoot and repair an aircraft's electronic, electrical and radio systems. They maintain vital equipment such as radar, navigation aids and flight control computers to ensure safe and efficient flight operations.
Tuesday was the fourth Talent Connect event the Chamber has hosted since 2025 on its initiative designed to retain and attract talent in high-demand occupational clusters, including accounting/finance, engineering and industrial machinery mechanics.
Led by Rue Ramsey, the Chamber’s vice president of workforce and talent strategies, it unveiled the talent pipeline program in late September by posting engineering jobs and has since added other fields. Using targeted advertising, the platform enables job seekers to directly access openings with Tulsa companies.
“We want to attract people who aren’t here,” Ramsey said.
Also at the meeting, Rana McVay, director of workforce and economic development for Tulsa Tech, outlined the advantages of Oklahoma CareerTech Apprentice programs.
“You get to create that curriculum,” McVay said. “You get to tell us what’s the best training for that employee that you’re looking for.”
The Chamber’s Talent Benefactors are Georgia-Pacific, TTCU Federal Credit Union, Tulsa Tech and Williams.