Twenty-four technology center students recently graduated from the inaugural SSM Health youth apprenticeship program.
The students, all from Oklahoma City area technology centers, were the first participants in the program, which allowed them to have a paying job at a major health provider while they were still seniors in high school.
The program is a result of more than a year’s worth of planning between Oklahoma CareerTech’s Health Science Education division and SSM Health, which operates multiple facilities in the Oklahoma City area. Building off a similar project based in Wisconsin, SSM offered 24 apprenticeships in advanced unlicensed assistant, medical assistant and phlebotomy.
“This groundbreaking opportunity allowed students to compete for positions through an interview process and after a notification of hiring, they attended employee orientation in mid-July 2025 and began their part-time employment when school started in August,” said Lara Morris, HSE program manager at Oklahoma CareerTech.
Participants came from Canadian Valley, Francis Tuttle, Gordon Cooper, Mid-Del and Moore Norman technology centers.
The apprentices began training at their local technology centers and were able to spend most of their class time at work by Thanksgiving, Morris said. As SSM Health employees, she added, they received the same privileges and rights as other employees, and 10 have transitioned to regular part-time positions.
Each apprentice earned certification in the chosen subject area, Morris said.
During the graduation reception, they heard from Jenny Krantz, career coach in workforce development and career pathways at SSM Health; Cori Gray, Oklahoma CareerTech director of student success; and featured speaker Kerri Bayer, SSM Health regional chief nursing officer.
SSM Health has completed interviews for 2026-27 apprenticeships and has expanded the number of apprentice positions available to 40. Morris said she has also reached out to other hospital systems in Oklahoma to create similar programs.
“My goal is to have this opportunity stretch from border to border so students can learn what it’s really like in the workforce while developing skills and gaining certifications that will allow their transition to college and future health care careers to become a reality,” she said.
Any technology center, hospital or health care site interested in learning more about youth apprenticeships can contact Morris at 405-743-5106 or lara.morris@careertech.ok.gov.
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, 394 PK-12 school districts, 20 Skills Centers campuses that include three juvenile facilities and 49 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.
