By Phil Berkenbile, Ed. D.
State Director of Career and Technology Education

As the school year winds down and we reflect on what has happened during the past nine months, I am confident we are taking steps to ensure CareerTech plays an important role in our state’s success.

Several major events have occurred.

The State Board of Career and Technology Education adopted a new strategic plan that will guide us in making an even bigger impact on Oklahoma’s future in economic development. We broadened our mission to more accurately reflect what we do – “We prepare Oklahomans to succeed in the workplace, in education and in life.”

We forged new partnerships, including ones with the Department of Labor and the Corporation Commission. We expanded existing partnerships, such as our partnership with the State Department of Education in training paraprofessionals.

We launched a new 30-minute television show, Oklahoma Horizon, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and in cooperation with OETA, which showcases the good things happening throughout the state.

The State Board of Regents and our Board approved a new model for granting college credit to CareerTech students through Cooperative Agreement Alliances. With a more student-centered focus, our hope is the Alliance model will produce more college graduates. In FY04 our enrollments surpassed the 500,000 mark, and we continue to grow.

While this is all good news, we must not be stagnant. We must move forward and continue the work of the strategic plan and keep telling the stories of how we make a difference in the lives of Oklahomans.

I am confident we will.

It would be hard to single out any one person or program responsible for this tremendous progress. It takes everyone working together.

For everyone who is involved in our CareerTech system, I am extremely grateful.

Thank you for all you do.