Indian Capital instructor named to SkillsUSA national team
Andrew Pilcher, a heavy equipment instructor at Indian Capital Technology Center, has been named to the SkillsUSA National Education Team for the heavy equipment operation competition at the National Leadership and Skills Conference.
Pilcher will serve three years as one of the five people on the team. It will give him insight into industry standards, competition expectations and best practices from across the country, all of which he can use to help prepare his students for success.
“This is a tremendous honor for Andrew and for ICTC,” said ICTC Superintendent Tony Pivec.
Read more on the ICTC website.
Francis Tuttle team heads to national culinary competition
A team of high school students from Francis Tuttle Technology Center will compete in April at the 2026 National ProStart Invitational.
The team, with members from Epic Charter Schools, Deer Creek and Edmond North high schools, won the culinary contest at the 2026 Ben E. Keith Oklahoma ProStart Student Invitational.
The team had 60 minutes to prepare a three-course meal with two butane burners and no running water or electricity.
A team from Edmond Santa Fe High School won the management division and will also go to the national competition. A second Francis Tuttle Tech team placed second in culinary and a team from Edmond Memorial High School placed second in management.
Read more on The Oklahoman website.
Kiamichi Tech – Durant celebrates first truck driver training graduates
Five students recently graduated from the first truck driver training program at Kiamichi Technology Centers – Durant, earning Class A commercial driver’s licenses.
“The students in the first CDL class at Kiamichi Tech – Durant didn’t just meet expectations, they set the standard,” said Paul Balkenbush, program instructor at Kiamichi Tech. “Each earned an unrestricted Class A CDL, proving what’s possible when determination meets top-tier facilities, equipment and a powerful partnership with Central Tech truck driver training. As this program grows, the future is bright for aspiring truck drivers in Durant.”
Read more on Kiamichi Tech’s website.
Central Tech welding students help Cleveland Fire Department
Central Technology Center students got a hands-on welding project when they helped install equipment on Cleveland Fire Department’s brush truck and flatbed.
The students, from Drumright, Yale and Cleveland high schools, fabricated brackets, prepped the frame and solved fit issues on the job, which gave them real-world experience and saved the fire department money in materials and labor.
The truck includes a 200-gallong water tank and gives firefighters the ability to get water into hard-to-reach places when they respond to grass fires.
Read more on Central Tech’s website.
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