Director's Memo 2024-1-29

In a year of continued growth and new leadership, Oklahoma CareerTech affirmed its reputation for pursuing innovative ideas that break from tradition and the accepted paradigm.

Recognizing the growing importance of workforce education, Gov. Kevin Stitt recently issued a proclamation declaring February to be Career and Technical Education Appreciation Month in Oklahoma.

Workforce development is a higher priority for state leaders, and CareerTech expects to play a starring role in the state’s plan to meet employers’ demands for skilled workers. Oklahoma CareerTech has almost half a million enrollments and is planning to add and expand programs to reach even more Oklahoma students and businesses.

“Preparing students for careers has become a higher priority for more Americans,” said CareerTech State Director Brent Haken. “The need for educational opportunities that emphasize career readiness is growing, which means our mission to provide Oklahomans career training has never been more relevant. To meet employers’ demands, a serious investment in workforce education must be made to expand programs.”

Read more on the Oklahoma CareerTech website.

The Oklahoma Legislature recently honored Central Technology Center and Freymiller Trucking for their efforts to launch the Second Chance Program.

The program offers trucking industry opportunities to individuals who have been in the justice system. It offers them help in transitioning from incarceration to life outside prison, providing them with career skills.

Read more about the honor and the program on the Central Tech website.

Northeast Technology Center opened new facilities on its Claremore campus for programs in heating, ventilation and air conditioning and criminal justice.

The HVAC space includes 4,000 square feet of shop space and 1,000 square feet of classroom. The space will allow instructors flexibility in training equipment for classes. The first class of students will start in August, according to an article in The Claremore Daily Progress.

The criminal justice program area includes a mock police station with evidence lab, dispatch room, booking room and interrogation room, along with space for self-defense and hand-to-hand combat training.

Northeast Tech broke ground on the project in August 2022.

Read more about it on The Claremore Daily Progress website.

Central High Public School district in Stephens County is asking voters to approve a $6 million bond issue that will include funding for a center for the district’s CareerTech programs.

Superintendent Kevin Dyes told The Duncan Banner that the center would house agricultural education classrooms, including for agriculture science, agriculture mechanics and meat processing; a family and consumer sciences culinary arts commercial kitchen; and a science, technology, engineering and mathematics classroom.

The bond issue will be on ballots on Feb. 13.

Read more about it on The Duncan Banner website.

United Way of Payne County honored both Oklahoma CareerTech and Meridian Technology Center for their workplace campaigns at its annual meeting last week.

Both Oklahoma CareerTech and Meridian Tech were among the top 10 workplace campaigns for United Way of Payne County.

Read more about the event on the 1600 KUSH-AM radio website.

Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @okcareertech and find us on Facebook at OklahomaCareerTech and on Instagram at oklahomacareertech. Find our podcast at https://www.ctconversations.org/ and watch our biweekly news show and other videos on our YouTube channel.

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State Agency Assistance at a Glance

National Research Center for Career and Technical Education

OK Career Guide

OK Career Guide Training Opportunities

CareerTech Curriculum

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