The most important corporate resource over the next 10 years will be talent. Oklahoma’s educational institutions continue to develop programs that help students prepare for the future while providing businesses with a pipeline of talent.
Tulsa Tech recently announced the launch of the Aerospace Academy for area high school students that will begin Fall 2015 at the Tulsa Tech Riverside Campus. The Aerospace Academy is a pilot project that uniquely supports the call of business and industry demands for training and educational platforms that support science, technology, engineering, and math. The program will be available to area juniors and seniors, and was created in direct response to support the workforce needs of the aerospace and technology job sectors.
“I talk to business owners weekly and hear consistently that Tulsa does not have enough trained and qualified workers to fill jobs,” Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett said. “As a city, we must be vigilant to the needs of the business community and create a pathway to prosperity for students who would benefit from training and learning a skill that places them in a well-paying career in Tulsa.”
Mayor Bartlett led the charge for this academy and officials from the City of Tulsa, aerospace industry and vocational and higher education leaders have been working for close to three years to make the academy a reality.
“Tulsa Tech is focused on being the region’s leader of career and technical education resulting in a quality job for every Tulsa Tech student and a skilled workforce for every company. In order to accomplish this vision, we must collaborate and partner with business and educational institutions to best meet workforce needs” said Dr. Steve Tiger, Tulsa Tech CEO/Superintendent. “Tulsa Tech’s Aerospace Academy is an excellent example of how this collaborative effort should work. We are excited to launch this innovative program fall 2015.”
The Aerospace Academy is a pilot project that uniquely supports the call of business and industry demands for training and educational platforms that support science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
“The Aerospace Academy is going to provide TPS students with the opportunity to get on a solid career track in the aerospace industry, while ensuring they remain on the successful path to graduate from high school,” said Dr. Keith Ballard, superintendent, Tulsa Public Schools. “It also fills a vital need among Tulsa employers to fill these critical positions in the marketplace. I’d like to applaud the City of Tulsa and Tulsa Tech for their vision in getting this creative program off the ground. I suspect it will be a highly successful program.”
Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin praised the new academy. “Nothing is more important to increasing prosperity in Oklahoma than teaching our children and future workers the skill-sets they need to thrive in a competitive, global economy,” said Fallin. “The Tulsa Tech Aerospace Academy is an excellent example of how our public school systems can find innovative ways to support the future workforce needs of Oklahoma businesses while putting young people on a track to find rewarding, good-paying jobs and careers.”
