Oklahoma City, OK – The Office of Management and Enterprise Services congratulates its partners at Oklahoma CareerTech for recently receiving their first shipment of semitrucks that will support CareerTech’s truck driver training expansion project. Funded by $6.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, this project seeks to eliminate a six-month student waitlist, increase access to local technology centers and help Oklahomans on the road to greater career opportunities.
As a key driver of the nation’s economy, professional truckers are in high demand. However, training large numbers of students for the field can be more difficult than other industries due to costly equipment needs. For example, one semitruck can cost up to $125,000. The Oklahoma Legislature’s decision to invest ARPA dollars in workforce development initiatives like trucking has enabled CareerTech to set the wheels in motion to expand its statewide training program and accelerate the pipeline from student to truck driver.
The project supports the creation of four new regional training programs, located at the Kiamichi, Northeast, Tulsa and Caddo Kiowa tech centers, giving students more local options to complete their certifications. To get those programs up and running, CareerTech is using its allocated ARPA money to build new classrooms, create facility training tracks, and acquire trucks, trailers and simulators for a state-of-the-art learning environment.
CareerTech has expended $1.47 million of its $6.2 million allotment so far. The first trucks have been delivered to the Caddo Kiowa and Northeast technology centers, which will have the ability to teach up to 100 and 48 students a year, respectively, and training through the new regional programs is slated to begin as early as fall 2024.
The OMES Grants Management Office applauds CareerTech’s effort and dedication to advancing opportunities for individuals seeking careers in the trucking industry and utilizing federal ARPA funding to positively impact Oklahoma’s workforce. For a full list of all ARPA programs, please view the 2023 SLFRF report.
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About OMES
The Office of Management and Enterprise Services provides financial, property, purchasing, human resources and information technology services to all state agencies, and assists the Governor’s Office on budgetary policy matters. Our mission: Provide excellent service, expert guidance and continuous improvement in support of our partners’ goals. For more information, visit oklahoma.gov/omes.
About the OMES Grants Management Office
The Grants Management Office (GMO) is the central administering entity of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for the State of Oklahoma. Our team builds partnerships and collaborates with state agencies by providing guidance on the implementation and use of ARPA dollars. Our goal is to be a supportive partner to agencies to help them accomplish their ARPA project goals. For more information on the state’s ARPA progress, visit oklahoma.gov/arpa.
About Oklahoma CareerTech
The Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education provides leadership and resources and assures standards of excellence for a comprehensive statewide system of career and technology education. The system offers programs and services in 29 technology center districts operating on 60 campuses, 391 PK-12 school districts, and 15 Skills Centers campuses that include three juvenile facilities and 31 adult education and family literacy providers.
The agency is governed by the State Board of Career and Technology Education and works closely with the State Department of Education and the State Regents for Higher Education to provide a seamless educational system for all Oklahomans. To learn more, visit oklahoma.gov/careertech.
OMES media contact
Christa Helfrey
christa.helfrey@omes.ok.gov
