CareerTech calls for greater investment to meet growing demand for workforce training
Oklahoma CareerTech leaders are calling for a stronger state investment in career and technology education to meet rapidly growing demand among students and employers.
Despite record enrollments and expanding workforce needs, Oklahoma CareerTech receives just 3% of the state’s education budget, an amount CareerTech officials say is not enough to meet demand, sustain growth or modernize programs.
“It’s simply not enough to move forward with the demand we have,” CareerTech State Director Brent Haken said Tuesday during an interim study led by District 68 Rep. Mike Lay, R-Jenks. “We have seen a 40% increase in demand since COVID. While we have moved forward as much as possible, we will continue to ask for more dollars to make sure the investment matches that demand.”
For fiscal year 2027, the agency is requesting $244 million in state appropriations, up from $175.5 million in the previous year’s allocation. The proposed increase would help CareerTech expand access to training programs, upgrade equipment and support the growing number of Oklahomans seeking hands-on education that leads directly to high-wage, high-demand careers.
Haken said the CareerTech system’s success depends on aligning resources with the scale of its mission.
While demand for CareerTech services and programs have grown 40%, ad valorem revenue for the state’s 29 CareerTech centers grows about 2% a year, Haken said. Meanwhile, federal funding for CareerTech programs and services continues to fall. If state funding doesn’t improve, the CareerTech system’s capacity to meet demand will continue to fall short, Haken told lawmakers.
“We don’t charge high school students tuition, and tuition rates for adults is discounted,” he said. “Our programs are helping students and adults get the skills Oklahoma employers need right now. But the demand is outpacing our capacity. If we want to keep building the state’s talent pipeline and strengthen our economy, we must invest in CareerTech at the level it deserves.”
In fiscal 2024, Oklahoma CareerTech students earned 34,771 industry certifications, while other postsecondary students earned 38,290 diplomas. Those numbers look similar, but the difference in cost is striking.
The average debt carried by a CareerTech student was just $30.85 per certification, while the average debt per postsecondary diploma was $16,638.
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 each postsecondary diploma in fiscal 2024.
The same pattern can be found in tuition costs. CareerTech students paid $32.9 million in 2024, while higher education students shouldered more than $1.5 billion in tuition costs.
“For students and taxpayers alike, CareerTech delivers high-value credentials and life-changing opportunities,” Haken said. “Sometimes, the smarter investment isn’t the most expensive. It’s the one that pays off in both lives and livelihoods.”
CareerTech’s enrollment continues to grow at record pace, particularly in K-12 programs, where participation surpassed 151,000 students in fiscal year 2025. The system also serves thousands of adult learners and industry partners through customized training programs designed to meet local and statewide workforce needs.
Haken said additional funding will allow the system to expand training opportunities, improve instructional technology and enhance partnerships with schools and employers.
“Every dollar invested in CareerTech pays off in stronger communities, better jobs and a more competitive Oklahoma,” he said. “Our state’s future workforce is counting on us to keep pace with their ambition.”
Oklahoma FFA Association President Cooper Kline, a student at North Rock Creek High School, and Oklahoma FCCLA President Kendall Stout, a student at Stigler High School, told lawmakers about their experiences in CareerTech student organizations, which grew to an all-time high of 123,000 members in fiscal 2025.
“This organization has so much to offer,” Kline said. “There are over 25 career development events that Oklahoma FFA offers. There are also seven to 10 leadership development events. Those soft skills – being able to interview, being able to speak in front of a crowd – you can’t learn that everywhere. I started public speaking when I was in 8th grade, and I haven’t stopped since.”
Stout said, “When I first joined FCCLA, I didn’t fully understand what career exploration meant. I thought it was something you figured out after graduation. FCCLA gave me the opportunity to lead, manage events, speak publicly and advocate for causes I believe in. These are not just club activities. They are career training moments. They have helped me define my own goals and build confidence in what comes next.”
Oklahoma CareerTech: Oklahoma’s Workforce Leader
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 63 campuses, 395 PK-12 school districts, 16 Skills Centers campuses that include three juvenile facilities and 32 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.
