ENID, OK - At the annual Partners in Progress celebration on Tuesday, the Oklahoma Association of Career and Technology Education (OkACTE) and Oklahoma Association of Technology Centers (OATC) presented awards to some of Oklahoma CareerTech’s most valued industry partners. The 27 businesses were recognized for making outstanding contributions to the improvement, promotion, development and progress of career and technology centers in Oklahoma. Chisholm Trail Milling was honored as Autry Technology Center’s Oklahoma Association of Technology Partner in Progress.
Autry Technology Center selected Chisholm Trail Milling for their commitment to advancing career technical education through utilization of Autry Technology Center’s services and programs and through exemplary commitments to workforce excellence and education in the community. Chisholm Trail Milling is a current resident in the Strate Center at Autry Tech, a certified business incubator focused on business development.
“We are honored to recognize Chisholm Trail Milling as our 2023 Partner in Progress,” said Autry Technology Center Superintendent/CEO Dwight R. Hughes. “In addition to being one of our business incubator program clients, Chisholm Trail Milling has continued to expand their partnership to include a bread-baking demonstration in collaboration with the Culinary Arts program, the employment of former Autry Tech students, and recently assisted in an event for Global Entrepreneurship Week. Together, Autry Technology Center and Chisholm Trail Milling are committed to strengthening the economic future in Enid and our surrounding communities.”
“Workforce is the number one issue right now for businesses across the nation, and Oklahoma is no exception. Each of the companies and organizations we recognized as Partners in Progress has worked closely with their technology center to solve a local workforce problem,” said OkACTE executive director Skye McNiel. “These partnerships are prime examples of how our CareerTech system helps fuel Oklahoma’s economy, working hand in hand with industry to ensure the tech centers are providing the right training solutions to help Oklahomans get hired and to help local businesses find the skilled workforce they need to be successful.”
Among attendees were Oklahoma legislators, technology center superintendents and leaders and representatives from the recognized companies. Each award recipient has demonstrated their commitment to progressing career technical education through their partnerships with CareerTech and through commendable obligation to workforce excellence and education in their community.
“The support that these businesses show our technology centers allows our students to be more successful in school, more excited about future careers, better equipped for the workforce, better employees for future employers, and better contributors as citizens and taxpayers for our communities and state,” said Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education director Brent Haken.
For over 100 years, Oklahoma CareerTech has connected students and businesses with training opportunities that help Oklahomans find rewarding careers and support Oklahoma industries. In 2023, 446,940 students were enrolled, and 6,671 companies were served by CareerTech. Oklahoma’s CareerTech system is known for being nimble and flexible in order to serve local business and is often used as a model at the national level to demonstrate how CareerTechs should partner with industry.
“The 2023 Partners in Progress award recipients represent the many diverse industries across our state, including manufacturing, law enforcement, healthcare, energy, transportation and trucking, food processing, higher education, and municipal and tribal governments. The companies recognized today range from smaller startups in our business incubator programs to companies that have been established for more than 50 years,” said McNiel. “To me, this list demonstrates why CareerTech truly is the number one workforce solution for any company or organization in our state.”
Autry Technology Center has been a part of the Enid community since 1967 and is one of 29 CareerTech schools across Oklahoma. The center has more than 25 career programs and offers a wide variety of evening and weekend short-term courses and certifications for many diverse career fields. Autry Tech serves nearly 16,000 individuals each year, including many area employees who receive training through the Workforce Development Department that works with over 500 local businesses each year.
About OkACTE
OkACTE is the professional association for the state's CareerTech administrators, teachers and staff members. ODCTE provides leadership and resources to the CareerTech System of nearly 4300 public school districts, 29 technology centers with 59 campus sites, 13 skills centers in correctional facilities and 28 adult learning centers with 52 sites. For more information about OkACTE, visit OkACTE.org.
About Oklahoma CareerTech
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 60 campuses, 391 PK-12 school districts, 15 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. For more information about Oklahoma CareerTech, visit okcareertech.org.
