OP-ED: Hands-On Training, Real-World Impact: CareerTech Partnerships That Work

By: Metro Tech Superintendent & CEO Aaron Collins

Oklahoma businesses need employees who can contribute from day one, and students need education that leads directly to meaningful, sustainable careers. Too often, those needs are discussed separately. At Metro Tech, we’ve learned that the solution lies in strong, intentional partnerships that connect education with industry and align training with real workforce demand.

Career and technical education are most effective when employers are not just end users of talent but also active partners in the learning process. One example is our collaboration with Tinker Federal Credit Union (TFCU). With a full branch located on our Springlake Campus, students gain hands-on experience through internships that build confidence, strengthen job-ready skills, and can lead directly to careers at TFCU.

With the help of area businesses and community organizations, Metro Tech also becomes a hub for TFCU’s workshops and resources for students, employees, and community members. In 2025, during the federal government shutdown, TFCU conducted 16 financial wellness workshops at Metro Tech to support those impacted on campus.

Our partnerships don’t just look good on paper. They create real opportunities for students. Working with the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s office, we opened the 911 Call Center on our South Bryant Campus to support training for our law enforcement, firefighter, and EMT programs. And through our partnership with OU Health, our nursing students benefit from outstanding clinical placements just minutes from our Springlake Campus.

Metro Tech is proud to share that our students are surrounded by real partners who invest time, expertise, opportunities, and belief in what this system makes possible. Whether it’s connecting future first responders to hands-on training, helping our healthcare students turn classroom skills into clinical excellence, or providing internships for students and financial literacy resources to our community, every partnership matters.

Education and industry share the responsibility of preparing Oklahoma’s workforce, and when we embrace that responsibility together, the results are measurable, meaningful, and lasting.