Since 1975, Meridian Technology Center has focused on workforce and economic development.

This commitment was reinforced when the Board of Education approved renaming the school’s business and industry services division to Workforce and Economic Development.

“As a part of the statewide CareerTech system, Meridian and 28 other technology centers are the workforce pipeline for the communities they serve,” said Dr. Douglas Major, Meridian’s Superintendent/CEO. “Adopting the Workforce and Economic Development name provides a more complete description of the impact this team has for businesses and industries within our district.”

Dr. Rebecca Eastham, Executive Director of Workforce and Economic Development, indicated the new name better reflects the impact the division has within the district.

“Our team’s primary focus has always been on developing a highly skilled workforce in the communities we serve. This name change aligns our division with the statewide efforts of CareerTech to help expand and upskill Oklahoma’s Workforce,” Eastham noted.

The Workforce and Economic Development division provides training and services in the areas of, health, industrial and technical skills, leadership and staff development, safety and entrepreneurial services. Team members also work with communities to ensure they have the workforce capacity to expand and attract new businesses to the area.

“We specialize in developing collaborative partnerships that result in high quality, well-paying jobs to support individuals as well as a community’s economic growth,” Eastham explained.

In addition to designing courses that are specific to an industry partner’s needs, the Workforce and Economic Division offers a variety of personal and professional development courses each semester. Last year, this division served more than 420 businesses and had 12,580 enrollments in customized training courses and offered 272 open enrollment courses.

As a part of the Workforce and Economic Development division, Meridian’s Center for Business Development focuses on empowering entrepreneurs through networking, education, consulting and business incubation services. As a crucial part of Stillwater’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, the Center’s built-in support services allow entrepreneurs to focus their efforts on growing their business by providing a full suite of amenities and consultation that entrepreneurs need to launch their company. Additionally, the Center offers programs and classes for entrepreneurs, ranging from classroom training to monthly programs to one-on-one consulting. It was recently named the top Business Incubator in Oklahoma by The Journal Record.

For more information, contact the Workforce and Economic Development team at (405) 377-3333 or toll-free at (888) 607-2509 or visit meridiantech.edu/tailored-approach.