Governor Stitt declares February Career & Technical Education Month
High Plains Technology Center is proud to join the statewide celebration of Career and Technical Education Month in Oklahoma. Governor Kevin Stitt declared February CTE Month in recognition of the crucial role that the Oklahoma CareerTech system plays in shaping the future workforce and contributing to the economic growth of the state.
Oklahoma CareerTech serves as a crucial link between workforce development and local industry, fostering a talent pipeline to meet the state’s workforce needs.
"High Plains Technology Center’s mission is to empower students with the skills and training they need to enter the workforce and to be successful in their careers and life," Katie Shirley, marketing coordinator at HPTC. “CareerTech centers are integrated into the communities we serve, and CTE Month is the perfect time to celebrate the special relationships we have with our K-12 districts as well as community and business leaders. Identifying workforce needs and tailoring our course offerings to ensure our students are set up for success and are equipped to handle the job when they graduate our programs is at the core of what we do.”
According to statewide statistics released by the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technical Education, the Oklahoma CareerTech system achieved a record number of pre-K through 12 enrollments for a second consecutive year, indicating a growing demand for the services it provides. In the 2023 fiscal year, there were an impressive 489,635 enrollments in CareerTech programs across the state, with over 42 percent of Oklahoma students in ninth through twelfth grades enrolled in at least one CareerTech class during that period.
Preparing students for careers has become a higher priority for more Americans,” said CareerTech State Director Brent Haken. “The need for educational opportunities that emphasize career readiness is growing, which means our mission to provide Oklahomans career training has never been more relevant.”
As Career and Technical Education Month unfolds, High Plains Technology Center encourages everyone to recognize and celebrate the invaluable contributions of the Oklahoma CareerTech system to its students, our communities, and Oklahoma businesses. Oklahoma is powered by CareerTech.
The skills obtained in CareerTech programs enable students to become immediately employable,” said Haken. “For us, the goal is to get students career and college-ready and to create a talent pipeline big enough to meet the workforce needs of every Oklahoma industry.”
To learn more about the impact of CareerTech in Oklahoma and in your community, follow High Plains Technology Center on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and Instagram throughout the month of February.
