Monthly Archives: June 2022

ICBS Show to Include Cybersecurity Speaker

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The ICBS Show will feature a keynote speech about cybersecurity when it returns to Norman in August.

The event, which offers assistance to businesses wanting to obtain contracts with federal, state and local governments, will be Aug. 15-18 at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center in Norman. It will open with a business networking event the first evening and end with a virtual matchmaking session on Aug. 18.

Stacy Bostjanick of the U.S. Department of Defense will present the keynote speech Aug. 16. She is a member of the senior executive service and serves as the chief of implementation and policy, deputy chief information officer for cybersecurity, Office of the Chief Information Officer and will speak about the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program.

Other speakers at the ICBS Show will include Lee Denney, Oklahoma CareerTech interim state director; Anna Urman of the U.S. Department of State; Mershelle Davis of Aventiv Technologies; and Will Lowe, speaker of the Muscogee (Creek) National Council. Participants will also hear from representatives of Koprince McCall Pottroff; Schooner and Moriarty; Oklahoma PTAC; the Tribal Government Institute; and Lockheed Martin.

The event will feature a day of informational briefings and an afternoon of one-on-one meetings between businesses and government agencies or prime contractors. The last day will be a virtual matchmaking day.

The ICBS Show is produced by Oklahoma’s two procurement technical assistance programs, Oklahoma PTAC and the Tribal Government Institute. Both PTACs are supported in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Defense. OkPTAC is a program of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education.

PTACs help businesses find, compete on and perform work for federal, state and local government agencies. The annual ICBS Show is both an outreach for new clients and a training and networking opportunity for existing clients.

Sponsors are Lockheed Martin; Delaware Nation Industries and Delaware Nation Investments; Aventiv; A1 Staffing and Recruitment Agency; and Sustainment Technologies Inc. Sponsorship opportunities are still available, said Carter Merkle, OkPTAC manager. Those interested can call 405-743-5571 or email okptac@careertech.ok.gov.

Admission to the ICBS Show is $225 until July 28, when the cost will increase to $250. For more information or to register visit www.icbsshow.com.

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 59 campuses, 394 PK-12 school districts, 14 Skills Centers campuses that include three juvenile facilities and 31 adult basic education service 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.

Legislature Approves $8.8 Million for Oklahoma CareerTech to Meet Health Care Workforce Demands

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The Oklahoma Legislature appropriated $8.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds today to expand Oklahoma CareerTech programs and address the state’s nursing workforce shortage.

Upon signature by Gov. Kevin Stitt, the bill will enable Oklahoma CareerTech to produce an additional 1,100 trained health care workers over the first five years of full implementation.

During the June special session, lawmakers allocated the following for the Health Care Workforce Development Revolving Fund:

  • $1,640,630 to establish a grant program with Indian Capital Technology Center to recruit and train health care workers in Oklahoma.
  • $2,032,767 to establish a grant program with Metro Technology Centers to recruit and train health care workers in Oklahoma.
  • $1,625,858 to establish a grant program with Tri County Technology Center to recruit and train health care workers in Oklahoma.
  • $3,504,368 to establish a grant program with the State Board of Career and Technology Education to recruit and train health care workers in Oklahoma.

Funding CareerTech is the most economical way to reduce the skills gap in health care and other important industries in Oklahoma, said Oklahoma CareerTech Interim State Director Dr. Lee Denney.

“Oklahoma CareerTech is well-positioned to respond quickly and efficiently to our state’s critical nursing shortage as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Denney said. “Our health care training programs prepare workers at all levels to meet the needs of hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, assisted living centers and other facilities facing significant staffing gaps. We applaud the Joint Committee on Pandemic Relief Funding and the Oklahoma legislature for their thorough and transparent process to fund these important programs to improve health outcomes in our state.”

ARPA projects approved during the regular session included $634,000 for CareerTech nursing programs.

“The $9.4 million the legislature is putting towards CareerTech nursing programs is literally going to save lives,” said State Rep. Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow. “Due to sky-high inflation, many are in search of higher paying work. Meanwhile, health care facilities across the state are in dire need of trained workforce. We are able to address both issues by deploying these taxpayer dollars quickly and efficiently. By partnering with CareerTech, we are making a transformative impact across Oklahoma for future students as well as future patients who will be in their care.”