Monthly Archives: November 2020

CareerTech Champions

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Logan Drury – Meridian Technology Center and HOSA

This nursing student is paying for college one vial at a time.

THEN: A rodeo queen who grew up riding horses and competing in rodeos. Logan Drury loved her equestrian activities, but she always knew she wanted to be a nurse. The Mulhall-Orlando high school student knew a nursing career would require college, which would require money — which would require skills. Not a problem for this forward-thinking young woman! Drury enrolled in Meridian Technology Center’s health careers program, hoping to learn skills that would allow her to supplement her income and find work in a field she enjoyed while she was going to college. At Meridian Tech, she

  • Learned time management and project prioritization.
  • Learned venipuncture and how to draw blood.
  • Learned patient care.
  • Was a member of HOSA – Future Health Professionals, the career and technology student organization associated with health careers education.

“I enjoyed the hands-on approach of my classes, and I loved the fact that my instructors were actually nurses themselves,” she said. “They didn’t just read or lecture about health careers; they drew from their own experiences.”

After completing the health careers program, Drury passed the National Healthcareer Association’s phlebotomy exam and became a certified phlebotomy technician.

NOW: Drury works as a phlebotomist at Stillwater Medical Center in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Because she is certified, she started at a higher pay rate when she was hired. She attends nursing school at Northern Oklahoma College. Her initial goal is to become a registered nurse, eventually obtaining a bachelor of science in nursing degree and possibly a doctor of nursing practice degree.

“Many times, students think you have to either go to college or go to work. With CareerTech, you can do both.”

Logan Drury
phlebotomist and nursing student

Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, Highway Patrol enter agreement for entrance exam

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The Oklahoma CareerTech Testing Center, a division of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, has secured an agreement to provide the entrance exam for Oklahoma state trooper candidates.

Under the agreement with the Department of Public Safety, applicants to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol Academy will take the Oklahoma Peace Officer Screening and Selection Exam developed by the CareerTech Testing Center. CTTC will provide the exam through its existing in-person and virtual test sites across Oklahoma.

“We are pleased to partner with the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety to offer this entrance assessment for state troopers,” said Marcie Mack, Oklahoma CareerTech state director. “By providing the assessment through the existing infrastructure of the Oklahoma CareerTech Testing Center, access to the testing will be available statewide.”

Oklahoma POSSE measures a candidate’s ability to demonstrate basic academic skills needed to successfully complete OHP cognitive training requirements for reading, writing, performing math calculations and using basic communication and reasoning skills.

“The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is excited about this new partnership with Oklahoma CareerTech,” said Capt. Donald Kerr, commander of the OHP Training Center. “This collaboration simplifies the process for OHP trooper candidates and means they can take the test at any time at a location that is convenient for them. This will also streamline the process for OHP as we screen applicants for our future academies.”

CTTC originally developed the test to meet legislative requirements for entrance into the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training Academy. Police departments across the state and the Oklahoma Department of Corrections also use the test.

OHP will inform candidates of specific details related to testing and use of the results. More information about test site locations, fees and required documentation can be found on Oklahoma CareerTech’s website.

About CareerTech Testing Center

As a service of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, the CareerTech Testing Center has provided standards and assessments for career and technology education programs since 1985. It also partners with numerous state agencies to develop and deliver examinations required for certifications and licensures.

Oklahoma Aerospace: Building on a Rich Tradition

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Home to aerospace pioneers such as Wiley Post and Clyde Cessna, Oklahoma has a rich legacy of aerospace innovation dating back more than a century and has played a decisive role in America’s aviation history.

Today, Oklahoma continues to serve as a hub of aerospace innovation, as some of the world’s most successful aerospace companies choose to run major operations in the state.

Oklahoma is home to more than 1,100 aerospace entities, which employ more than 120,000 Oklahomans, according to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. Among them are Boeing, NORDAM, American Airlines, Spirit AeroSystems and Tinker Air Force Base.

Tinker is the largest single-site employer in the state and contributes more than $3 billion to the local economy annually. The Oklahoma City installation has an annual statewide economic impact of $3.6 billion, creating an estimated 33,000 secondary jobs.

A central hub for maintenance, repair and overhaul of military and civil aircraft, Oklahoma’s aerospace and defense industries produce about $27 billion in sales and $19 billion in exports each year. The aerospace industry spans the state with major centers of operation in Ardmore, Fort Sill, Oklahoma City, Tulsa and western Oklahoma.

In addition, the state’s reputation as a leader in aerospace stems from its central location, higher education, military bases and a CareerTech system that offers a wide range of career training opportunities in aerospace at seven campuses.

Providing educational opportunities for a career in aerospace is an important part of the state’s mission to sustain and grow the aerospace industry in Oklahoma. By creating pathways for education in aerospace, Oklahoma CareerTech is offering Oklahoma aerospace companies access to a pipeline of talent.

What’s more, with the recent donation of the MD-80 from American Airlines, Oklahoma CareerTech students will be able to train hands-on with the equipment they will use in the field.

CareerTech, vet med association partner to teach veterinary assistants

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A new Oklahoma CareerTech certification exam will help veterinary assistants show they have the skills they need to care for the state’s animal population.

CareerTech is working with the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association to offer veterinary assistant certification for individuals completing the OVMA Certified Veterinary Assistant Program. The program is designed to help veterinary practices spend less time training new employees while ensuring the employees have the skills they need.

“We are pleased to partner with the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association to offer this certification exam,” said Marcie Mack, Oklahoma CareerTech state director. “Oklahoma CareerTech Testing Center has used its proven blueprint to develop an effective assessment with subject matter experts and will deploy the certification on the existing infrastructure, allowing for increased access to the testing across the state.”

Individuals working in the field can complete the OVMA Certified Veterinary Assistant Program at their own pace and then take the certification exam that the CareerTech Testing Center developed with a committee of subject matter experts. Once they’ve earned certification they can renew it every year with continuing education and a renewal fee.

The program’s goals are to increase levels of professionalism and customer service, encourage a culture of teamwork, increase the knowledge of animal care and increase the knowledge of proper handling techniques.

“The Oklahoma Certified Veterinary Assistant Program through the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association will ensure that students and workers are prepared to enter the veterinary world by providing a solid foundation of knowledge required to be successful in the clinic setting,” said Dr. Jennifer Schoonover, a veterinarian and OVMA president. “Veterinarians will be able to feel confident in hiring certified individuals and in continuing their staff’s education through this program due to the standard skill set covered.

“However, I think we can all agree the greatest benefit will be allowing veterinarians to better provide a consistent high quality of care to their patients and clientele.”

Individuals are required to apply for the program and then complete 100 hours of supervised training before taking the exam. CTTC’s network of testing sites at Oklahoma technology centers will give participants easier access for taking the exam.

For more information about the Certified Veterinary Assistants Program, visit https://okvma.org/veterinary-assistants-program/. For more information about the certification exam, visit https://www.okcareertech.org/educators/assessments-and-testing/health-certification-project-hcp/veterinary-assistant/veterinary-assistant.

About CareerTech Testing Center

As a service of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, the CareerTech Testing Center has provided standards and assessments for career and technology education programs since 1985. It also partners with numerous state agencies to develop and deliver examinations required for certifications and licensures.

About Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association

The Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association, a professional trade organization for veterinarians, was formed in 1907 and incorporated in 1934. The membership of the association is composed of more than 1,000 individual Oklahoma veterinarians, Oklahoma State University Center for Veterinary Health Sciences faculty, veterinary students, out-of-state veterinarians and allied members.