"Whatever training they provide for us, it will either expand on my current knowledge or introduce new technology and ideas that can be passed onto current and future students." - Brad Wake, Diesel Technology Instructor
Students aren’t the only ones taking advantage of learning opportunities at Francis Tuttle Technology Center.
Several instructors have won scholarships to attend their own training courses thanks in part to industry support. They hope to use this opportunity to provide their students with relevant industry training so they can be prepared for the workplace upon graduating.
Culinary Program Chef Instructor Anna Banda will attend training by Pro Start. The organization has already been working with Francis Tuttle on instructional and competition opportunities.
“The curriculum has helped the students who have used it, and the competition piece of ProStart has been amazing,” Banda said.
Diesel Technology Instructor Brad Wake is one of 10 instructors from across the country selected to attend a five-day training course with Navistar, a leading truck, bus, and parts manufacturer. Wake will visit the Navistar OEM state-of-the-art training center in Woodridge, Illinois, along with 9 other career and technical school instructors from across the country.
“Whatever training they provide for us, it will either expand on my current knowledge or introduce new technology and ideas that can be passed onto current and future students,” Wake said. “In addition to the updated training that we will receive, I most look forward to the networking portion of this trip.”
He will join instructors from across the country, including Alaska, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Wyoming. Scholarships were handed out based on whose programs would benefit the most from attending the hands-on training.
The scholarships were granted by the ASE Education Foundation in conjunction with International Truck and IC Bus. Navistar manufactures vehicles under the International Truck and IC Bus brands.
Banda also received industry help with the scholarship to attend Pro Start training. The Oklahoma Restaurant Association partnered with Pro Start to grant this training opportunity.
“Pro Start is also supported by the hospitality industry, and the partnership with us and Pro Start/ORA has a lot of benefits to our students,” Banda said. “The biggest one of those is job placement, since hospitality is one of the top 10 industries in Oklahoma.”
In addition, Nail Technician program Instructor Regina Roberts will be attending training in June. Joyce Miranda and Michelle Rios completed training a month ago to help ensure Esthetician program students are ready to enter the workforce.
Biosciences and Medicine Academy Instructor Rance Peters is taking a training course to improve his knowledge of the Anatomage Table, a state-of-the-art tool that gives students a detailed inside look at the human body. In addition to showing students where body parts are and how they interact, Peters said he wants to know more about the table's capabilities in simulating the work of a doctor.
"I want to learn how to get more into the clinical side of things with this machine," Peters said.