OPINION: Cherokee Nation’s Career Readiness Act will drive new job opportunities in northeast Oklahoma

Not every hard-working Cherokee Nation citizen who graduates from high school wants to go to college, but they still deserve access to a quality job and a rewarding career. That is why Cherokee Nation is doubling our funding for Career Tech training from $1 million to $2 million.

This investment, called the Career Readiness Act, will prepare Cherokees for jobs in trades such as construction, health care record keeping, information technology, and electrical line work. The openings in these fields are some of Oklahoma’s fastest growing and highest paying jobs. These are skilled trades and can only be learned through vocational training or career technology programs.

I recently signed this legislation, which also had the unanimous support of the Council of the Cherokee Nation.

Just like college, many Cherokees cannot afford the tuition for vocational classes without assistance. We invest heavily in sending Cherokees to college on scholarships – and rightly so – but we should never forget our Cherokees who prefer a non-college career path and skilled trades training after high school. They must be equally prepared to be a valued part of the local economy and their community. Failing to put more resources into this would mean leaving too many of our people behind.

To make sure this investment is as effective as possible, Cherokee Nation Career Services has analyzed the industries where jobs are in demand. The Career Services department serves about 700 students annually in customized training programs, whether in IT, health care, the building trades or other in-demand […]

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