With the proliferation of movies and TV series, studios are turning from Hollywood to the heartland. This means filming in different locations and using a different workforce.

We speak with Justin Siler, adult and career development coordinator at CareerTech, about what his division is doing to prepare Oklahoma's workforce for the big screen.

You can view a video of this conversation here:

https://youtu.be/qh52RomyO-Y?si=rCsIbxSXSiQx5sx3

 

From welding to carpentry, from plumbing to electrical work, trade and industrial education is one of the most diverse divisions at Oklahoma CareerTech.

Until recently, that division was led by John Day, who joined us in the studio to give an overview of this wide-reaching division, as well as his insight on where it goes from here.

You can view a video of our conversation here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzitHl0zRfg



ADDITIONAL CONTENT

SkillsUSA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Cytrf6oxkw

Learn more about Oklahoma SkillsUSA at https://www.okskillsusa.org/

SkillsUSA Lineman Rodeo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FssnmexJQ3w

With the state legislature and budget negotiations in full swing, the beginning of the year is always a busy time for CareerTech. This time, however, those challenges are being met with a new person at the helm: Brent Haken.

In a conversation recorded in February, we get to know CareerTech’s new state director. He talks about his experiences as an instructor and administrator that led him to this new position and his long-term goals for advancing career and technology education in Oklahoma.

 

You can view a video of our conversation with Brent Haken here:

https://youtu.be/u0TLxVqw5wU

Have you started a small business? Do you know someone who has?

The challenges of starting out from scratch are well known, but what you may not know is that CareerTech has resources to help make growing a small business easier.

Carter Merkle of Oklahoma's Procurement Technical Assistance Center sat down with us to talk about the ways in which OkPTAC connects small businesses in the state with government agencies.

You can view a video of our conversation with Carter Merkle here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afgk_j44IOc

You can view videos of the business leaders we talked to at ICBSSHOW here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utqBxXJhr4U

Additional links:

ICBSSHOW

OkPTAC

 

How do you lead in a time of transition?

CareerTech's Interim State Director Dr. Lee Denney sat down with Russell Ray to tell us about her unique role at the agency.

She also shares her thoughts about the CareerTech student organizations and the many ways the system delivers on its promises to students and businesses across the state.

You can view the video version of this conversation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIRLsErd3e8

 

CareerTech Horizon is becoming CareerTech Conversations!

We will still be bringing you the amazing stories from people within Oklahoma's CareerTech System, but with a slightly different approach, as they tell their stories in their own words. We will also be bringing you some of our episodes in video format on CareerTech's YouTube Channel.

Thanks to everyone who stayed subscribed to us during our hiatus. You should already be on track to hearing our newly revamped podcast. Our first episode, featuring CareerTech's Interim State Director Dr. Lee Denney, will be hitting your feeds soon.

Be sure to spread the word about our new rebranding, and we'll see you soon!

Do you remember last year when meat was difficult to find?


When the lockdowns went into effect, and major meat producers had to scale back production in the fight against COVID-19, many Oklahomans sought out local sources of meat. However, that highlighted a new problem: workforce shortages.


In this episode, we examine Oklahoma's meat shortage, and how teamwork from all over the state seeks to train more meat processors to prevent another one.


We'll examine how Oklahoma lawmakers responded to the initial meat shortage situation and began to expand the state's local processing capacity.

Forging a partnership that paid dividends, we'll look into how CareerTech teamed up with the Department of Agriculture Food and Forestry to train up a new workforce.

We'll hit the road to check out high schools and tech centers adding meat to their curriculum.

Check out the new Mobile Meat Processing Lab; a refrigerated semi-trailer converted into a classroom on wheels.

A new Oklahoma Certified Beef standard seeks to help farmers and ranchers market their meat direct-to-consumer.

Have you ever thought about where your food comes from? Have you thought about the processes and the people involved with getting it to your plate?

In our Season 2 premiere, CareerTech Horizon takes a dive into Oklahoma agriculture, the challenges the industry faces, and the new opportunities for people to get involved in it.

State Agriculture Secretary Blayne Arthur gives us a look at the industry and how it fared during the pandemic.
John Patrick Lopez of Lopez Foods tells us about food processing. Some things changed with technology, but he still needs hard-working people, too.
OSU's Cynda Clary takes us through the many jobs available in agriculture, many of which don't involve farm work.
CareerTech's Scott Nemecek explains how they are training the next generation of ag workers.
Nikki Snider of the Oklahoma Pork Council works to bridge the gap between farmers and consumers.

You can subscribe to our podcast on Apple, Spotify, Google, TuneIn, Stitcher, or ask your smart speaker to “Play CareerTech Horizon.”

Also, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @CT_Horizon, or on Facebook to stay up to date with this ongoing project. Visit our website for show notes, episode trailers, and bonus content "Beyond Your Horizon" at http://cthorizon.org

Head over to our Facebook or Twitter to see the video version of this trailer!
In the lead-up to CareerTech Horizon's Season 2 debut, producer Blane Singletary takes you behind the scenes, onto the set of the show, to talk about how the pandemic changed the way the shows were put together.

We also talk about our next episode about how Oklahoma's agriculture industry went through its own trials, as many in the state faced a food shortage. Through these difficult times, however, new opportunities have emerged, and a variety of jobs are available for those willing to step up.

Subscribe to the show with your favorite podcast app or platform. Or, ask your smart speaker to "Play CareerTech Horizon."

 

2020 has been called a lot of things, and most of them aren’t very nice. But at least one positive situation has emerged from this challenging year – a profound appreciation of our frontline health care workers.

As COVID-19 fills hospitals with critically ill patients, nursing homes battle the virus among its patients and staff, and front line nurses give countless COVID tests and now…vaccines…now, more than ever, Oklahomans owe a debt of gratitude to workers in the health care industry and those who train health care workers.

In this season finale episode:

We talk about the worldwide nursing shortage and its effect on Oklahoma’s health care system.
Connie Romans tells us about a generous gift from a CareerTech grad that’s benefitting health care educators and students across the state.
We hear about some of the challenges of training students for health careers – in the middle of a pandemic.
We’re reminded that men and women can follow whatever career path they choose…especially in health care!

You can subscribe to our podcast on Apple, Spotify, Google, TuneIn, Stitcher, or ask your smart speaker to “Play CareerTech Horizon.”

Also, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @CT_Horizon, or on Facebook to stay up to date with this ongoing project. Visit our website for show notes, episode trailers, and bonus content "Beyond Your Horizon" at http://cthorizon.org

When is the last time you thought about what goes into keeping power going to your home, uninterrupted?


Oklahoma's thriving and evolving energy industry can be found in many forms. Whether it's oil, gas, hydroelectricric, wind, or solar energy, careers in this field can be lucrative and rewarding, but with a growing gap for skilled labor around the state, energy leaders hope more students sign on to technical programs to keep things going.


In this episode:


We travel the state to hear from energy leaders on the challenges they are facing, and the new programs in place to help alleviate the energy skills gap.

We profile two students from very different backgrounds, and who are training for two very different jobs, but are ultimately working for the same goal.

We climb hundreds of feet to get a good view of the wind energy industry, and learn about the technical and safety demands of the job.

Listen in on a panel discussion, as Oklahoma's energy experts discuss what the industry will change in the coming years, while other parts stay the same.


You can follow us on Twitter @CT_Horizon, or find us on Facebook.


You can also visit our website, cthorizon.org, for show notes, discussion and bonus content, “Beyond Your Horizon.”

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY TO CAREERTECH HORIZON!
It's hard to believe, but it's been a full year since we started this podcast! We've loved the opportunities to tell great stories from around the state, and we could'nt have done it without the support of you, our listeners. Thank you!
NEXT TIME: EPISODE 9 -- "Power Up!"
We may sometimes take it for granted, but energy is a critical resource in keeping our lives going. Oklahomans have been doing their best to capture and harness energy in many forms, and new statewide initiatives seek to further the Sooner State's energy workforce.

On the next episode of CareerTech Horizon, we bring you the stories from the evolving world of energy, and the students and workers ready to ride its wave.

 

Subscribe today on your favorite podcast app to be the first to hear our episode when it comes out, next week!

Has the time come for you to transition back to your normal life? Does the uncertainty of going back to school or work amidst a pandemic give you stress and anxiety?

In this episode, CareerTech Horizon takes you inside one technology center to see how they navigated their reopening with a new program for students and plenty of guidelines to keep everyone safe.

At Tri County Tech in Bartlesville, we take a look at the newly revamped "Skills To Rebuild" program, designed to train students quickly for new careers in the areas hardest hit by the pandemic.
We sit down with Tri County Tech's CEO and Superintendent Lindel Fields and ask about how the tech center approached the shutdown and the reopening, and what this means for the future of education.
Finally, we call up CareerTech's own Dr. Steven Aragon, a cognitive psychologist who has some advice on how to navigate these uncertain times with your family.

You can follow us on Twitter @CT_Horizon, or find us on Facebook.

You can also visit our website, cthorizon.org, for show notes, discussion and bonus content, “Beyond Your Horizon.”


Beyond Your Horizon: Learn more about today’s stories
Skills To Rebuild - Tri County Tech



Programs offered by Tri County Tech


OCPA Article


Pandemic and Mental Health



"Keeping Mental Health in Check" with Steven Aragon (VIDEO)


Classic Horizon Stories


The original "Skills To Rebuild" program -- Moore, Oklahoma (2013)

While the world around us changes rapidly, some may choose to hang on to the familiar things in life.  For others, this may be the perfect time to make changes for themselves.

Next time on CareerTech Horizon, we go to TriCounty Tech in Bartlesville, where a new take on an old program trains students for a new career in less than a month, so they can fill some of the most pressing needs of their community. All that, during a pandemic that has forced educators to re-think what school looks like.


Subscribe on your favorite podcast app or platform, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Or, ask your smart speaker to "Play CareerTech Horizon."

While you were at home, during the coronavirus lockdown, did you find yourself trying to learn new "home skills?"


With people turning to things like baking and sewing, some for the first time, Family and Consumer Science teachers have suddenly found their subject in high demand. In this episode, we sit down with Terri Hollarn, a longtime FCS educator and state administrator, to share the stories from the at-home life and the skills that go along with them.


We also highlight the shortage of FCS teachers across the country, and the hope that this crisis may encourage more people to become teachers themselves.


You can follow us on Twitter @CT_Horizon, or find us on Facebook.


You can also visit our website, cthorizon.org for show notes, discussion, and bonus content, “Beyond Your Horizon.”

In the age of social distancing and "safer at home" orders, many people have had to brush-up on their home-making skills. These skills, often taken as electives in high school curriculum, have now become what many consider essential.

Next time on CareerTech Horizon, we sit down with a longtime Family and Consumer Sciences educator and reflect on these skills returning to prominence.

Subscribe on your favorite podcast app or platform, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Or, ask your smart speaker to "Play CareerTech Horizon."

Having a car and being able to quickly and easily get from point A to point B is something many of us take for granted... until a problem arises.


In this episode, CareerTech Horizon hits the road, driving through Oklahoma's auto industry.


Our first stop is the Oklahoma City Auto Show, bringing together auto dealers and enthusiasts to spread the word about the opportunites of the auto industry to young hopefuls.

We visit one auto service education program, mixing in alternative fuels into the curriculum, and the importance of playing it safe around natural gas, electric, and hybrid cars.

We fire up the not-so modern marvel of the internal combustion engine, and the oil-based fuels that power it.

Finally, we look at the bigger picture of Oklahoma's auto manufacturing industry, and how leaders are planning to build it up all over the Sooner State.


You can follow us on Twitter @CT_Horizon, or find us on Facebook.


You can also visit our website, cthorizon.org for show notes, discussion, and bonus content, “Beyond Your Horizon.”

(Note: Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, we will be postponing our originally planned episode on this year's "Making It Work" award recipients. However, we will continue to bring you new, great stories in the meantime.)



With more than 100 million passenger vehicles in America today, it pays to be in the automotive business. But with new technology speeding ahead at a breakneck pace, it's important for technical education programs to keep up.

We'll take you inside the OKC Auto Show where students show off their skills and network with potential employers and educators. We'll also take you inside one such program, where electric, hybrid, and natural gas vehicles are part of the curriculum. Auto shops and dealerships have a stake in this too, as they look for new and innovative ways for workforce development.

Subscribe now on the podcast app or website you found us on! And check out our previous 5 episodes for some great, positive stories in this time of uncertainty. Or, ask your smart speaker to "Play CareerTech Horizon."

How did you learn the skills you have now?

Are the skills you know still relevant today? Will they remain relevant in the future?

In this episode, we examine the growing partnerships between industry and education. We'll dive into what businesses are doing to keep instructors on the same page, and how these instructors use that knowledge to cultivate the workforce they'll be hiring from.

American Airlines donates one of its passenger jets to CareerTech, so students in their aviation programs can work hands-on with real aircraft.
A summer camp for teachers brings educators behind the scenes at businesses their students may one day work for.
"Futuring Panels" facilitate conversation on where the industry is heading, and how educators can keep up.

You can follow us on Twitter @CT_Horizon, or find us on Facebook.


You can also visit our website, cthorizon.org for show notes, discussion, and bonus content, "Beyond Your Horizon."

Next time on CareerTech Horizon, we go aboard a recently retired passenger jet that's now a classroom with wings for students looking to take off in the airline industry.

It's just one of many ways business and industry partner with technical education; a partnership that grows both ways.

Subscribe today on the platform you found us on to get instant access to our roundtable discussion when it releases.

CareerTech Horizon is now on Spotify! Find us here.