The Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education (ODCTE, commonly known and branded as CareerTech) is an agency of the state of
Oklahoma
Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
located in
Stillwater, Oklahoma
Stillwater is the tenth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and the county seat of Payne County, Oklahoma, Payne County. It is located in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. Route 177#Oklahoma, U.S. Route 177 and Oklahoma S ...
.
CareerTech oversees a statewide system of career and technology education. The system comprises 29 technology center districts and 395 comprehensive school districts. CareerTech also has skills centers that serve state correctional facilities and juvenile detention facilities. The State Board of Career and Technology Education is the governing body of the department, composed of the Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction and eight members appointed by the
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor serves as the head of the Oklahoma Executive (government), executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The gover ...
with the approval of the
Oklahoma Senate
The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution.Oklahoma State Department of Education and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, the department forms the core of Oklahoma's public education system.
History
The Oklahoma CareerTech System began with the passing of the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 by President Woodrow Wilson. This act made available federal money for the promotion of vocational education. In 1929, the Division of Vocational Education was established as part of the State Department of Education. The department moved from Oklahoma City to Stillwater in 1932, and in 1941, the state legislature established the position of state director of vocational education. J.B Perky was the first director. In 1966, Oklahoma technology center school districts were formed, and in 1967, Tri County Tech became the state's first area vocational-technical school. On July 1, 1968, the Oklahoma State Board of Vocational and Technical Education was established as a separate entity from the State Department of Education. In 1971, the first delivery of training to inmates in Skills Center https://www.okcareertech.org/about/state-agency/divisions/skills-centers/skills-centers] at the Ouachita facility took place.
On May 19, 2000,
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor serves as the head of the Oklahoma Executive (government), executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The gover ...
Frank Keating signed House Bill 2128, which officially and immediately changed its name to the Department of Career and Technology Education.
Economic impact
Recent Census Bureau survey data indicate that Oklahoma workers who have completed the equivalent of a two-year program with a vocational or occupational emphasis earned 20 percent more than workers with only high school diplomas the past two decades. These income gains can in turn contribute significantly to the overall level of income statewide. Over the work life, a typical career major completer can expect to add more than $475,000, or $188,000 in current dollars, to lifetime earnings relative to completing no additional education beyond high school.
In current dollars, the direct benefits are $1.84 billion in future income gains to completers, $138 million in added tax revenue to state and local government, and direct in-state spending of $185 million for the delivery of the career major instructional programs statewide. Indirect benefits include $1.66 billion in estimated spillover income gains to the broader state economy which in turn produce $124 million in tax revenue.
Leadership
The department is led by the state director and the CareerTech board. Brent Haken serves as the state director.
Board of Career and Technology Education
The State Board of Career and Technology Education is a nine-member board composed of the Oklahoma superintendent of public instruction (who serves as the chairman of the board), two members of the Oklahoma State Board of Education, one member from each of the state's congressional districts and one at-large member.
All members, except ex officio members, are appointed by the
governor of Oklahoma
The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor serves as the head of the Oklahoma Executive (government), executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The gover ...
and confirmed by the
Oklahoma Senate
The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution.Oklahoma CareerTech Hall of Fame. The award is given to individuals who, through their outstanding professional and personal achievements, have brought honor and distinction to career and technology education in Oklahoma.
Technology Centers
CareerTech Centers in Oklahoma provide career and technology education for high school students in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Oklahoma
Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
Chisholm Trail Technology Center
Technology Centers, in Oklahoma, are Career and Technical schools which provide career and technology education for high school students in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The students generally spend part of each day in their respective schools purs ...
Transcribed college credit is available for high school and adult students enrolled at CareerTech Centers through the Cooperative Alliance Program for certain technical courses. The Cooperative Alliances potentially save students time and money.Brachterm Michal: "CareerTechs: Potential pathways to higher education", The Daily Oklahoman, November 13, 2005 The Cooperative Alliances are a partnership of CareerTech and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
Career and Technical Student Organization
Career and technical student organizations (CTSOs) are vocational organizations primarily based in high schools, colleges and career technology centers.
Often, on the state level, they are integrated into State education agency, departments of edu ...
s.
*
Business Professionals of America
Business Professionals of America (BPA) is a career and technical student organization that is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.
Officers
Every Business Professionals of America chapter has presiding officers for the national organization, stat ...
(BPA)
* DECA (formerly Distributive Education Clubs of America)
* FCCLA (Family Career and Community Leaders of America)
*
National FFA Organization
The National FFA Organization or FFA is an American nonprofit career and technical student organization, which offers middle and high school classes that promote and support agricultural education. Future Farmers of Virginia (FFV) was founded in ...
(formerly Future Farmers of America)
*
SkillsUSA
SkillsUSA is a United States career and technical student organization serving more than 395,000 high school, college and middle school students and professional members enrolled in training programs in trade, technical and skilled service oc ...
*
Technology Student Association
The Technology Student Association (TSA) is a national non-profit Career and technical student organization, career and technical student organization (CTSO) of over 300,000 middle and high school student members engaged in Science, technology, e ...
FIRST Robotics Competition
FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is an international high school robotics competition operated by ''FIRST''®. Each year, teams of high school students, coaches, and mentors work to build robots capable of competing in that year's game. Robots c ...
(FRC)
Skills Centers
The Skills Centers began operations in February 1971. The system began at the Jim E. Hamilton CareerTech Skills Center inside the Jim E. Hamilton (formerly Ouachita) Correctional Center at Hodgen, Oklahoma. Currently the CTSC has campuses in state correctional facilities and a juvenile detention facility.
Female
::*Eddie Warrior Correctional Center, Taft
::*Mabel Bassett Correctional Center, McLoud
Male
::*Bill Johnson Correctional Center, Alva
::*Enid Community Corrections Center, Enid
::*Howard McLeod Correctional Center, Atoka
::*Jackie Brannon Correctional Center, McAlester
::*James Crabtree Correctional Center, Helena
::*Jess Dunn Correctional Center, Taft
::*Jim E. Hamilton Correctional Center, Hodgen
::*JH Lilley Correctional Center, Boley
::*Lexington Assessment and Reception Center, Lexington
::*Northeast Oklahoma Correctional Center, Vinita
::*Oklahoma State Reformatory, Granite
Juvenile
::*Central Oklahoma Juvenile Center, Tecumseh
::*Mustang Juvenile Center, Mustang
::*Scissortail Landing Juvenile Center, Norman
Miss America
Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 18 and 28. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is judged on competition segments with scoring percentages: ''Priva ...
2006
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Brad Henry
Charles Bradford Henry (born July 10, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 26th governor of Oklahoma from 2003 to 2011. A Democrat, he previously served in the Oklahoma Senate from 1992 to 2003. As of 2025, he is the last ...