The Tulsa Regional Chamber takes local teachers on a road trip.
They didn’t go far — just down Highway 169 to Cancer Treatment Centers of America. The visit was part of the chamber’s Road Trip for Teachers program, which shows them opportunities and challenges in seven high-growth industries. The chamber’s Kuma Roberts said there are two main goals.
"We've just seen a wide variety of opportunities that I'm not sure students are aware of," Roberts said. "Secondly, I think they're really not as prepared skill-wise. We want to make sure they're taking the right education and the right courses in postsecondary education so they can take these jobs when they're done."
In all, 54 Tulsa Public Schools teachers went on this year’s trip. Career tech instructor Natasha Smith said teachers play a vital role in preparing students for careers.
"The model for career tech is it's a job for every Oklahoman and a workforce for every company, so we bridge that gap between students and the industry and give them the career readiness that they need, even immediately out of high school," Smith said.
Smith said her students will get a presentation in the first weeks of school about all the career opportunities at the hospital.
Cancer Treatment Centers of America CEO Jay Foley said the hospital has a wide range of positions, not just what people typically think of as health care jobs.
"In our culinary offering, we have dishwashers and cooks. We have executive chefs. We have sous chefs. We have registered dieticians that prepare meal plans," Foley said.
Past Road Trips for Teachers have gone to the Port of Catoosa to visit manufacturing businesses and to One Gas and BOK for observing professional services.
