Southern Tech hosts apprenticeship signing day
As the scope of apprenticeships broadens across the CareerTech system, Southern Tech in Ardmore recently hosted a signing day ceremony featuring their own employees and local businesses, effectively leading the charge by providing in-house opportunities for workforce development.
In Oklahoma, individuals and employers can choose between two powerful apprenticeship pathways: Department of Labor registered apprenticeships and CareerTech apprenticeships. Each is built to align with unique goals and workforce priorities.
See more in a video on the Oklahoma CareerTech YouTube channel.
Tickets on sale for Oklahoma CareerTech Hall of Fame banquet
The Oklahoma CareerTech Foundation has opened ticket sales for its Hall of Fame banquet in October, when the foundation will honor seven inductees.
This year’s Oklahoma Career and Technology Education Hall of Fame inductees are Athena Frank, Donna Metcalf, Virginia Sasser, Billy Scott, Fred Shultz, Eddie Smith and Ron Vandever.
The ceremony will be Nov. 5 at ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center in Stillwater. Banquet tickets and sponsorships are available at https://pci.jotform.com/form/260084923739161. The reservation deadline is Sept. 25.
“We are proud to honor these seven Oklahomans who helped make the Oklahoma CareerTech system what it is today,” said CareerTech State Director Brent Haken. “Each of them played a vital role in making Oklahoma a leader in career and technology education.”
Read more on the Oklahoma CareerTech website.
OSSBA honors CareerTech board member
Oklahoma CareerTech state board member Randy Gilbert recently received a 2026 Barbara Lynch Community Partner Award from the Oklahoma State School Boards Association.
Gilbert has served on the State Board of Career and Technology Education for more than 20 years. He also serves on the boards of the Oklahoma Youth Expo and the Shawnee Industrial Authority.
“What the long list of awards won’t tell you about Randy is the sheer size of his heart,” Gordon Cooper Career Technology Center Superintendent Julie McCormick said.
“He doesn’t just show up; he invests his whole soul in everything he does. Whether he’s mentoring a student in FFA, volunteering his time or championing rural business development, Randy’s life work is a masterclass in what it means to lift others up. He is the ultimate champion for Oklahoma, and no one deserves this honor more.”
He was inducted into the CareerTech Hall of Fame in 2024.
Read more on the OSSBA website.
CareerTech co-hosts adult education conference
Oklahoma CareerTech and the Oklahoma Literacy Coalition are co-hosting the Oklahoma Adult Education and Literacy Conference in September.
The conference will be Sept. 21-22 at Metro Technology Centers Springlake Campus.
It is designed to bring together teachers, tutors, coordinators, administrators and literacy advocates from Oklahoma and the surrounding area to share practical strategies, innovative programs and proven approaches to support adult learners.
Former college football coach Houston Nutt is scheduled to give the keynote address.
For more information about the conference, visit the OLC website.
Meridian Tech nursing grads hold 50-year reunion
Seven members of Meridian Technology Center’s first graduation nursing class met recently for a 50-year reunion.
They were among 25 students to graduate from the program in 1976, and most hadn’t seen each other since. They shared their stories with the Stillwater News Press.
Read more about their reunion and what they’ve done since on the Stillwater News Press website.
Useful links
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State Agency Assistance at a Glance
National Research Center for Career and Technical Education
OK Career Guide Training Opportunities
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