Governor Kevin Stitt declared February Career and Technical Education Appreciation Month, recognizing the educators, administrators and partners of the Oklahoma CareerTech system who make a significant impact on workforce development.
The ongoing workforce shortage is a challenge for companies across the nation, and Oklahoma is no exception. But Oklahoma Department of Career and Technical Education Director Brent Haken reminds Oklahoma businesses struggling to find skilled, reliable, and qualified workers to look no further than their local technology center for help.
Mid-America Superintendent Mike Eubank said, “Mid-America Technology Center enriches economic growth by providing quality education and training. We do this by listening to the needs of our area businesses and industries and diligently working with them to provide excellent training to ensure a quality workforce.”
Oklahoma CareerTech’s reputation goes well beyond state boarders, as it is often used as an example at the national level of how CareerTechs should work with industry to design courses that meet the needs of local businesses.
CareerTech’s 29 technology centers operate on 59 campuses throughout the state, including Mid-America Tech’s presence in 11 counties in central Oklahoma. In FY22 Mid-America Tech had 12,476 total enrollments.
Hiring CareerTech graduates gives businesses an advantage, as they can quickly onboard a highly skilled worker who already has hands-on experience in their industry.
In a new video launched to kick off Career and Technical Education Month, industry partners, state leaders and economic development professionals weighed in on what it is like to work with Oklahoma’s CareerTech system.
