Director’s column: CareerTech delivers more for less
Sometimes numbers speak louder than words. And when it comes to education in Oklahoma, the numbers make a pretty strong case for CareerTech.
In fiscal 2024, Oklahoma CareerTech students earned 34,771 industry certifications. The average debt carried by a CareerTech student was just $30.85. At a time when we’re adding over $500 million in student debt in Oklahoma for postsecondary education annually, the difference in debt load can be life changing for many students and their families.
And it’s not just students who see the savings. The state of Oklahoma invested $5,938 for each CareerTech certification. By contrast, it spent $21,830 on postsecondary diplomas, seven times more than the state investment in a CareerTech certification.
Read more on the Oklahoma CareerTech website.
Health Science College, Program and Career Fair planned
Anyone interested in learning more about health careers might want to attend the Health Science College, Program and Career Fair in Midwest City in November.
The event, hosted by the Governor’s Healthcare Workforce Committee, will be from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 12 at the Reed Conference Center in Midwest City.
It will include interactive stations and booths for HOSA-Future Health Professionals, the CareerTech student organization aligned with health science education; OK Career Guide; the Oklahoma Hospital Association; the Oklahoma Center for Nursing; and the Office of Rural Health/Area Health Education Centers.
Invitations have also been sent to Oklahoma technology centers, colleges and universities and hospitals and ambulatory clinics in central and western Oklahoma, said Lara Morris, health science education program manager at Oklahoma CareerTech and chair of the Governor’s Healthcare Workforce Committee.
“My goal is to have 50 booths and 500 student participants,” Morris said.
Read more on the Oklahoma CareerTech website.
CareerTech Champion: Western Farmers Electric Cooperative and Caddo Kiowa Technology Center
Keeping the lights on takes more than electricity. It takes people with the right skills.
For the past five years, Western Farmers Electric Cooperative and Caddo Kiowa Technology Center have worked side by side to train and grow Oklahoma’s energy workforce. That collaboration earned WFEC the 2025 Partner for Progress Award.
Together, the organizations have delivered 33 customized training sessions for more than 570 WFEC employees, totaling more than 4,500 contact hours.
“CKTC provides a comprehensive range of training services for WFEC, such as CPR/first aid, defensive driving, load securement and fit testing,” said Shawn Adams, CKTC business and workforce development coordinator.
Read more on the Oklahoma CareerTech website.
Tulsa Tech drone program prepares students for aerospace careers
News on 6 recently highlighted Tulsa Technology Center’s drone program, which is helping fill a nationwide shortage of aviation technicians.
The autonomous mobility class is giving students skills to work in aerospace repair and manufacturing while it is teaching them to build and program drones.
“We started off with just simple electrical components,” Broken Arrow graduate Justin Adair told News on 6. “And just how those components make machines run.”
After finishing the course, he got a job at NORDAM, an aerospace company in Tulsa, he told the news station, and he’s not the only one to benefit from the Tulsa Tech program. The tech center has awarded more than 500 certifications since starting the program, News on 6 reported.
Read more and watch a video on the News on 6 website.
Useful links
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 news show and other videos on our YouTube channel.
For news about Oklahoma’s CareerTech System, subscribe to CareerTech communications.
State Agency Assistance at a Glance
National Research Center for Career and Technical Education
OK Career Guide Training Opportunities
If you’re a good parent, see the changes that are happening in your kids. -- Keith Emerson
