The career opportunities for skilled workers in the healthcare industry is expanding so rapidly in Creek, Lincoln and Payne counties that Central Technology Center is expanding the number of training programs available to help meet the need and provide employment opportunities for local residents.

As a massive new hospital and specialized care complex is being developed at Stroud, a new hospital is under construction in Drumright and major expansion of the Cushing hospital has been announced. Those developments, as well as the recent expansion of healthcare facilities at St John-Sapulpa and in Stillwater , have prompted school officials to announce two additional Health Careers Certification classes to be offered by Central Tech in August, one on the Drumright Central Tech campus and the other at the Sapulpa campus.

With three Health Careers Certifications classes for high school students, one fulltime HCC class for adults, two Practical Nursing programs and a fulltime Surgical Technician program, Central Tech is poised to assist the hospitals and clinics in the region in filling positions that range from Licensed Practical Nurses, to Certified Nursing Assistants, Phlebotomy Technicians, Medical Assistants, Surgical Technicians, Certified Medication Aides, Medication Administration Technicians, EKG Technicians, Pharmacy Aides, Massage Therapists, as well as other positions in the dental and veterinary medicine fields.

The demand for skilled and certified healthcare workers is unparalleled as state-of-the-art hospitals and clinics are being developed in the three county region. "Residents of Creek, Lincoln and Payne counties will have opportunities for careers in high demand and well paying fields without the necessity of expensive daily travel to and from the metropolitan areas," says Central Tech spokesman Larry Lehr. "These are exciting opportunities for our communities in rural Oklahoma and Central Tech counselors are ready to assist both high school students and adults who may be interested in a career in one of these areas of expertise."