Editorial from Superintendent/CEO Dr. Doug Major

At Meridian Technology Center, workforce development is our business – the training we provide helps power the local economic engine. We do this through our full-time career training programs, our Business and Industry Services, and our Center for Business Development. This month we’re joining the 29 Tech Centers that are part of the Oklahoma CareerTech system in celebrating Career and Technical Education Month. We invite you to partner with us in continuing to make the communities we serve a great place to live and work.

Enroll Your Student in Tech

Meridian offers 24 full-time career training programs ranging from Automotive Technology to Biomedical Sciences to Pharmacy Technician. Last year, nearly 600 high school students and 260 adult students enrolled in these programs. District high school students attend at no cost, and adult students paid a low in-district rate.

During their time at Meridian, students receive hands-on experience blended with technical classroom training. Instructors have often worked for many years in the industry in which they are teaching and are passionate about passing on their knowledge. In a survey of parents, 93% of those surveyed said that Meridian offers their student a competitive advantage in getting hired or going to college after graduation.

Our Admissions team works with students individually to help ensure they enroll in a program that’s a good fit with their future career goals. Recent numbers show that after graduation, 54% of our students went directly to work or the military, with almost 40% pursuing further education.

We are accepting applications for our fall class now. If you want to learn more or know someone who would benefit from a Meridian education, please contact our Career Planning Center.

Serve on a Business and Education Council or Provide an Internship
Our classrooms replicate the real-world work environments where graduates will one day be employed. To ensure our students are gaining hirable skills, we create Business and Education Councils, which are composed of industry experts who provide guidance on curriculum, equipment and technology. Members often offer internships or on-the-job training and may hire students after graduation.

Connect with Our Business and Industry Services Team
Our passion to help others succeed professionally carries into our Business and Industry Services teams aimed at helping businesses and individuals grow. Through professional development opportunities including training in computers, health care, safety, industrial training, and leadership and staff development, BIS strengthened over 400 local businesses and organizations last year.

Teach as an Adjunct or Take a Short Course
Each year Meridian offers hundreds of courses ranging from floral design to first aid to iPhone fundamentals. We can help if you want to transition to a new career, strengthen your role in your current position or take a personal-interest course and learn something new. You could even get creative and enjoy a date night at our sushi-making class. Many of the short courses have classes during both the day and evening hours and often meet one or two times during the week.

Start Your Startup Here
Meridian’s Center for Business Development is dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs through networking, education, consulting and business incubation services. The Center provides office and manufacturing space for early-stage startups to help them accelerate through the most challenging phase of building a company. Offerings include programs and classes for entrepreneurs ranging from classroom training to monthly programs to one-on-one consulting. Last year there were 19 residential tenants who based their businesses in the Center for Business Development and created new jobs with an average salary of $51,600.

I, along with the rest of our staff, love seeing individuals opening doors to new opportunities, local businesses investing in their future workers, and startups and established organizations alike growing stronger and healthier. We hope you’ll join with us in striving to make our workplaces and communities even better.

Dr. Douglas Major is CEO/Superintendent of Meridian Technology Center, which serves residents from the Agra, Carney, Glencoe, Guthrie, Morrison, Mulhall-Orlando, Pawnee, Perkins-Tryon, Perry and Stillwater school districts. More information on Meridian can be found at meridiantech.edu.