Tulsa, OK embraces a transforming workforce — and is offering $10K to prove it

Dive Brief:

Tulsa, OK will offer $10,000 grants to people who move to and work remotely from the city for a year, with funding coming from the George Kaiser Family Foundation.
Each $10,000 grant awarded through Tulsa Remote will be distributed over the course of a year, with an initial $2,500 going toward moving expenses, $500 a month as a stipend and a $1,500 payment at the end of the one-year period. Recipients will also get a year of desk space at a co-working space, access to workshops and meet-ups and the option to live in a new, fully furnished, discounted apartment with three months of free utilities.
To qualify, applicants must be employed by a business outside of Tulsa County.

Dive Insight:

Tulsa's program is an attempt to attract young talent and those with flexibility to a city that embraces the transforming workforce. It could put Tulsa on the map for many people who would have otherwise overlooked the city as a place they might want to move. The city hopes to bring in people in small groups, eventually aiming to bring in up to 300 people through the program, reports CNBC.

Distributing the grant over the course of a year incentivizes recipients to stay for the duration and get a real feel for what the city is about. The hope is that they will like it enough to stay after their grant period ends.

Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum has been working for the past several years to position the city as one that's attractive to young people. He has aimed to create an environment where young people are active in their communities and their concerns are heard, while pushing for continuing education, job training and arts. In recognizing that the American workforce is changing to individual contractors as opposed to a traditional company culture, he has also been vocal creating opportunities for the new strain of employees.

"Tulsa is gaining international recognition for the use of modern technology to better serve citizens, and one of the areas where we see great opportunity is as a home for remote workers," Bynum said in a statement about the program.