May 8, 2019 (Drumright, Okla.) 

In order to help close the skills gap and raise awareness of career options in the skilled trades, Central Technology Center, today participated in SkillsUSA National Signing Day Sponsored by Klein Tools, celebrating thousands of high school seniors across the country pursuing a career in the skilled trades. Central Tech was one of approximately 300 schools across the U.S. participating in National Signing Day, which recognized over 2,500 students nationwide.

“We are thrilled we were able to partner with SkillsUSA and Klein Tools’ for the first-ever National Signing Day,” says LaDonna Gear, Campus Director of Central Tech Drumright. “As the shortage of skilled workers increases, we encourage students to enter this rewarding industry. Our seniors should be proud of everything they have accomplished as they continue to further their education and training post-graduation. We wish them all the best as they prepare for their lifelong careers.”

In a style similar to “National Signing Day” events for high school student athletes, three Central Tech Construction Trade students were recognized as they signed their “letters of intent” for a job offer, apprenticeship or advanced technical training. Tyler Wayland of Bristow, Ben Burris of Cushing and Zach Ackart of Cleveland were celebrated among future employers, school administrators, teachers, SkillsUSA advisors, family and friends, as they take the next step in their education in construction trades.

“This was an exciting day for our students as they committed to careers in the skilled trades,” says David Baugus, Construction Trades Instructor and SkillsUSA advisor at Central Tech. “These seniors have worked hard over the past two years to prepare for this next chapter of their life. Through their education, our seniors understand the hard work needed to be successful in the trade. This recognition is very well deserved to each and every one of them.”

“The first National Signing Day was a success thanks to Central Tech and its students,” says Mark Klein, co-president of Klein Tools. “Best of luck to these students as they enter the skilled trades to start their careers with their first pair of Klein Tools pliers.”

Wayland and Burris have accepted internships at Crossland Construction, and Ackart has accepted a position at Pawnee Millworks in Pawnee, Okla.

Construction trades is one of 28 full-time programs offered at Central Tech. Full-time classes provide progress-based instruction and are designed for students seeking career or technical training.

Photo 1: (L to R, back row) David Baugus, Central Tech Construction Trades Instructor, Jack Hopper, Crossland Construction Representative, and Jeremy Sheets, Central Tech Construction Trades Assistant, celebrate (L to R, Front Row) Ben Burris and Tyler Wayland as they sign a letter of intent to close the skills gap. Central Tech partnered with SkillsUSA and Klein Tools to highlight seniors who have committed to a job in the Construction Trades industry.

Photo 2: (L to R, back row) David Baugus, Central Tech Construction Trades Instructor, Heather Higgins, Pawnee Millworks Representative, and Jeremy Sheets, Central Tech Construction Trades Assistant, celebrate Zach Ackart as they sign a letter of intent to close the skills gap. Central Tech partnered with SkillsUSA and Klein Tools to highlight seniors who have committed to a job in the Construction Trades industry.

About Klein Tools

Since 1857 Klein Tools, a family-owned and operated company, has been designing, developing and manufacturing premium-quality, professional-grade hand tools.

The majority of Klein tools are manufactured in plants throughout the United States and are the No. 1 choice among professional electricians and other tradespeople. Klein is a registered trademark of Klein Tools, Inc.

About SkillsUSA

SkillsUSA is a vital solution to the growing U.S. skills gap. SkillsUSA empowers its members to become world-class workers, leaders and responsible American citizens as it improves the quality of our nation’s future skilled workforce. The nonprofit partnership of students, instructors and industry ensures America has the skilled workforce it needs to stay competitive. SkillsUSA helps every student excel through the development of SkillsUSA Framework skills that include personal, workplace and technical skills grounded in academics. The association serves more than 360,000-member students and instructors per year in middle schools, high schools and colleges. This diverse talent pipeline covers 130 trade, technical and skilled service occupations, the majority STEM-related. More than 600 corporations, trade associations, businesses and labor unions actively support SkillsUSA at the national level. Local, state and national championships are designed and judged by industry to set relevant standards for career and technical education and provide recognition opportunities for students. SkillsUSA programs also help to establish industry standards for job skill training in the lab and classroom and promote community service. SkillsUSA is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and is cited as a “successful model of employer-driven youth development training program” by the U.S. Department of Labor. SkillsUSA offers technical skill assessments and workplace credentials through the SkillsUSA Career Essentials program, a cutting-edge solution that defines, implements and measures career readiness skills for students.

For some people, retirement is the time to enjoy the spoils of a lifetime of work.

It’s the time to buy an RV and travel across the country, to take up a new hobby or to re-connect with family.

MonyaMarie Black, a 64-year-old Central Tech Construction Trades student, has something else in mind. Her story began in New York City.

“Before I retired two years ago, I taught low-income women how to build furniture in their apartments.” A little help and a lot of ambition allowed her to start making a difference in her city. “I met one gentleman when I first got to New York; he was an architect,” said Black. “Every once in a while I would ask him a question. Other than that, I was self-taught.”

Nearly 30 years later, Black has been retired for two years. She decided that now is the best time to pursue something bigger. Following a friend’s intuition, she and a group of families headed west and wound up in Oklahoma.“I’ve been working since I was 16, but now I have the opportunity,” she said. “Here we are 20, 30 years later and I have the opportunity to learn to do it right.”

Her first step was enrolling in Central Tech’s Construction Trades class. “It’s been a great experience to learn from professionals, and I like how hands-on it is,” said Black. “We get to spend a lot of time in the class learning about OSHA and using all the equipment.”

After learning the basics, the class spends most of their course term at a construction site, building a house from the ground-up. “It’s been interesting coming to school with high school students; most of these guys are younger than my adult children,” said Black. “They’re very respectful and very helpful, but they also let me do the work even though I may have to waddle to do it because the tool belt weighs more than me!”

Black plans to return next year to finish the two-year program, and she already has plans for when she graduates. “My ultimate goal is to relocate to Jamaica and work with the underserved population there in the country, she said.”

Part of her inspiration came from her pastor, who moved back to her home in Jamaica to use her counseling experience. Black has her own reasons for going to Jamaica.

One of the main projects she plans to start is building houses for prison detention officers. “They do a terrifying job because they don’t have weapons,” said Black. “They go in and are responsible for 110 inmates with sometimes only a radio to call for help. I would like to build something where they could come to Jamaica and enjoy being in the country or being in that natural environment on their salary.”

Even now when Black is in school learning a new trade, her mind is still focused on how to make an impact on her surroundings. “It’ll be about five years before I go to Jamaica,” said Black. “I would love to come up with a program (while I’m here) where we’re not just building one house, but actually having many construction projects around the community. There are a lot of houses that can be fixed up here.”

Behind all of her ambition are inspiring, selfless core values that would benefit anyone looking for more out of life. “I want to be firm, fair and consistent,” she said. “It’s always about communication and accuracy, because I think that’s sorely missing, and a good sense of humor; I’ve got to be able to laugh at myself.”

The Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) program at Central Tech helps students find successful, gainful employment, and helps meet the growing need for skilled technicians.

“Central Tech’s first full-time HVAC class began in the fall of 2014, in response to industry outlook and projected demand for skilled workers. With many owners and contractors of air conditioning businesses in the Tulsa and Sapulpa area reaching retirement age, the HVAC industry was and is facing growing needs and shortages among skilled Residential and Light Commercial HVAC Technicians locally, state-wide and nationally. Seeing this growing need, and projected skills gap, Central Tech sought to be part of the solution,” said Diana Plummer, career counselor for Central Tech.

An advisory committee of industry leaders was formed to aid in curriculum and program development for the HVAC class, as well as hire the future graduates.

Since the class began, interest has skyrocketed, creating a need for an additional class and the opportunity for students to take evening courses. By August 2017, the full-time evening class was established mirroring the daytime class.

“The success of the HVAC program is demonstrated through 100 percent positive job placement of all the full-time Residential and Light Commercial Technicians,” said Dr. Kim Howard, Central Tech’s Sapulpa campus director. “Our graduates earn an average entry-level starting salary of $15 per hour, and students who complete the program are prepared for their apprenticeship, with the ability to sit for their journeyman certification after one year of work experience.”

The need is growing, and Central Tech’s HVAC programs are meeting the need of the industry as well as positively impacting the economy. According to the US Department of Labor, the median pay for HVAC technicians is more than $22 per hour, and jobs opportunities are projected to grow by 15 percent, which is much faster than average.

Join us for Central Tech’s Annual Open House on Sunday, February 18, from 1-4 p.m. and tour the class to see first-hand the industry-leading equipment and instruction our students receive.

For more information about Central Tech’s HVAC program, please visit CentralTech.Edu or call 918-224-9300.

“Central Tech definitely prepared me and put me ahead of schedule with college credit hours,” Koy Ramsey said.

While attending Central Tech, Ramsey, at that time a Cushing High School student, took advantage of the Cooperative Alliance Program, which allows students to receive college credit while attending a technology center, and began earning a workforce degree before graduating high school. This not only saves students and their parent’s time and money but avoids course duplication.

“I had around 20 OSU-IT credit hours that I got through my class at Central Tech. When my classmates had to take 15 hours in college, I only had to enroll in nine.” With more time on his hands, Ramsey was able to look for related employment that might later lead to a good job after graduation. And it did.

While many students hope to find good jobs after graduation, Ramsey with an Associate in Applied Science in Construction Management from OSU-IT will trade in his mortarboard for a hardhat.

Ramsey acquired his construction skills through Central Tech before entering college. He was excited for the possibility of an internship that would allow him to improve his skills and work while attending college. As with his interest in construction, Ramsey knew his education must also begin with a firm foundation and a process for completion.

David Baugus, Ramsey’s former Central Tech Construction Trades Instructor, introduced Ramsey to another former student, now employed with Crossland Construction Company in Tulsa. The employee assisted Ramsey in getting an application and interview.

Ramsey was awarded two, two-month internships before becoming a part-time employee for Crossland Construction. After Ramsey graduates this Friday, he will begin full-time employment.

“(Central Tech) opens doors to employment,” Ramsey said. “Having Central Tech on my resume shows people I am interested in learning.”

During his two years at Central Tech, Ramsey was a member the National Technical Honor Society and SkillsUSA. Using the skills he learned in class, Ramsey placed second at the Oklahoma SkillsUSA cabinet making contest his first year. He came back to win first place in the same competition the following year, advancing to the national competition. “Koy worked hard to learn everything he could,” Baugus said. By his second year in class, people were seeking him out and offering him small construction jobs.

The construction sector is a viable industry to the Oklahoma economy and is expected to grow more than 20% from 2008 to 2018. With an increase in new jobs, the construction industry expects to employ more than 91,000 new workers in the next few years. (Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, 2008, p. 2)

Companies are not only looking for construction workers, but for the next group of foremen and employees ready for more responsibility.

Students who learn the “ins and outs” of construction by combining education with on-the-job experience and application obtain more opportunity to lead and advance in the company, said Aaron Burns, Crossland Construction Company Superintendent. “Koy is an exceptional worker, and is ideal in what we are looking for in long-term leadership for the company,” Burns said.

Central Tech’s Construction Trades class on the Drumright campus is open to adult and high school students. Individuals interested in a career as a framer, roofer, exterior finisher, trim carpenter, cabinetmaker or other construction profession should consider Construction Trades. Many graduates of the program further their education in construction technology or construction management and complete the class ready to work for large construction companies.