Who are the graduates of Oklahoma’s CareerTech system? They are nurses, roofers, electricians, plumbers and truck drivers. They might also be doctors, dentists, engineers, teachers and attorneys! In these crazy economic times, CareerTech is even more important for Oklahomans who are in need of further education or training in a new field.

“It would be unlikely to go through life without coming into contact with CareerTech,” said Dr. Gerald Harris, Superintendent at Northwest Technology Center. “The system has a profound impact on all of us, whether we realize it or not.”
Northwest Technology Center is one of Oklahoma’s 29 tech centers that are celebrating February as CareerTech Month. Activities such as community service projects performed by Career Tech student organizations, community meetings, special seminars and many other events will be taking place throughout the month of February. CareerTech will also sponsor several events at Oklahoma’s state capitol.
On February 25, CareerTech Business and Industry representatives including a contingent from Northwest Technology Center, will recognize “Partners for Progress” honorees. Partners for Progress is an award given annually by each technology center to one business in their school district who has worked with the school as a partner in employee training and as an advocate for the CareerTech system. United States Gypsum of Southard will be one of the recipients of this year’s award.
“The sheer number of Oklahomans enrolling in CareerTech classes makes its reach massive”, Harris said. Approximately half a million Oklahomans were enrolled in CareerTech classes last year. But numbers aren’t the only indication of the success of the system. Northwest Technology Center had over 15,000 enrollments on its two campuses during the 2014-15 school year. This number includes those enrolled in daytime programs, adult training and development programs and business and industry services.
If our students aren’t successful once they get to the workplace, then we have failed them and we’ve failed our state. That simply isn’t an option for us, so each day we strive to point our students down the path that gets them to where they want to go.” continued Harris.
“That path might lead to a full-time program at Northwest Technology Center”, Harris said, “or it may be that a person needs additional certification and can get that through one of the tech center’s Adult Career Development classes”.
“The point is,” Harris said, “for many Oklahomans the path to success leads to their local technology center.”
According to the Association for Career and Technology Education, stated Harris, research shows that many of the country’s fastest-growing occupations require the technical skills taught in CareerTech education programs. Research also shows that among high school graduates entering the workforce, those with a technical education background earn more than those without this advantage.
“Students don’t have to decide between CareerTech and college,” continued Harris, “a symbiotic relationship exists between the two. In fact you can attend Northwest Tech and receive high school and college credit simultaneously.
CareerTech isn’t just for high school students either. While the full-time programs are the foundation of the system, business and industry customers also benefit from the services we offer. Services include customized training and consulting, small business management, agriculture business management, Training for Industry Program funding and New and Existing Industry funding.
“The strength of our systems lies in its diversity to serve not only high school students and business and industry, but also the unemployed ,as well as, underemployed adults,” Harris said. “So whether you have personally experienced the benefits of our system or have seen the indirect benefits through the personal or professional growth of someone you know, CareerTech’s benefits are undeniable.”
More information about Northwest Technology Center or CareerTech is available at www.nwtech.edu.