Central Technology Center has been awarded a total of $70,000 in two grants to assist area small businesses in gaining critical employee training that could result in added employment opportunities locally.

Central Tech Superintendent Phil Waul said a grant of $50,000 from the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education will be used to create and staff the new Safety Center of Excellence and introduce its new Rapid Results Safety Strategy. “We believe this new program will make it possible for small businesses in our area to significantly diminish workplace injuries and eliminate Lost Work Days,” said Waul.

“Central Tech is located in a district that contains a wide variety of companies and industries. On one side of our district lies pipeline companies with over 175 sub-contractors in several small communities. These businesses require extreme safety measures and are highly regulated by the federal government. On the other side of the district lies a heavy concentration of high volume manufacturing plants and industries that require stringent safety measures to ensure protection for workers involved in glassmaking, steel manufacturing and other high risk manufacturing jobs,” said Waul.

The unique new Rapid Results Safety Strategy (RRSS) now offered by Central Tech's Business Assistance Center will offer a comprehensive package of services for the small business firm for a one-time flat fee of $100.

The RRSS package will include consultations and evaluations, materials for improved recordkeeping, assistance in dealing with insurance/Worker's Comp, development of a localized safety plan, a safety awareness program, on-site safety trainers and continuing safety instruction for workers.

A second grant to Central Tech in the amount of $20,000 will enable the Central Tech Business Assistance Center to offer critical OQ certifications required for small businesses and their workers to service the pipeline industry.

Twelve major oil companies and over sixty pipeline contractors and construction companies affiliated with the major pipeline companies are located in Cushing and nearby communities.

New federal OQ certifications for safety, security and operational continuity go into effect this month and all employees of local contractors in the pipeline industry must be properly and appropriately trained. The major oil companies' representatives have been serving as advisors to Waul and his staff for many months in examining the industry's needs and areas where the technology center can give assistance.

“Previously, it has been difficult for small contractors to obtain the necessary training for their employees so they could meet the basic requirements for the major oil companies. There has been no formal training mechanism in place that would allow incumbent workers, or young people interested in entering the field, to obtain the technical training needed to enter the pipeline field. This grant will permit Central Tech to offer low cost training for OQ certification and to begin the establishment of a permanent Pipeline Technology Program to address those problems and other related matters for businesses in our district,” said Waul.

Central Tech is also announcing a cooperative agreement with Oklahoma State University at Okmulgee that establishes both an Associate's Degree and a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering Technology-Pipeline Technology to be offered beginning August 2006. Central Tech will begin Pipeline Technology classes within the next 3 months with college credit available through OSU-Okmulgee, allowing students to get a head start on receiving their Pipeline Technology Degree.