CEAT Professional Development has served crucial function for nearly a century
Monday, September 25, 2023
Media Contact: Kristi Wheeler | Manager, CEAT Marketing and Communications | 405-744-5831 | kristi.wheeler@okstate.edu
The College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology’s Professional Development is approaching 100 years of providing customized training to workers and employers and it’s only continuing to expand.
Professional development means gaining new skills through continuing education and career training after entering the workforce.
Oklahoma State University provides customized training that can be tailored for specific organizations and is available online and in person. A few of the different program areas include fire prevention and loss control, highway construction materials technology, specialized engineering topics, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
“Professional Development has a 98-year history of providing applied training to defense, oil and gas, construction, health and safety, fire prevention and environmental compliance sectors,” said Jessica Stewart, director of Professional Development. “Today, we serve as a primary point of contact for those seeking hands-on training, conference and symposium opportunities and customized career development courses. Those are backed by land-grant research, teaching and Extension expertise.”
In September 2017, OSU was selected as an OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Center. OTI Education Centers are nonprofit organizations offering training on OSHA standards and occupational safety and health issues.
Although the pandemic slowed growth in all training programs, the OTI Education Center is seeing growth. The 2022 OTIEC Annual Performance Appraisal shows OSU’s own growth in that area over the last year. OSU trained 435 students, representing a 6% increase from 2021 and 26% of the established goal of 1,700. This was an all-time high number of students trained for the growing center.
CEAT Professional Development’s ability to specialize in industry responsive training encourages a variety of state and local government agencies, municipalities, private companies and individuals wishing to upskill for their personal career development to look to the department for their training needs.
Megan Warrington, OSHA program coordinator, said Professional Development and OTIEC courses are open to the public and industry.
“I think there’s a perception out there that we serve internally for the university,” Warrington said. “The majority of our clients are external groups and companies. We have national, and with some programs, international reach there.”
Students in each course are promised more than just lecture-based training. CEAT Professional Development training differentiates itself by making each course as interactive as possible. Access to the university’s facilities and labs helps accomplish this goal.
“This department has really specialized in having applied training where it’s very hands-on,” Warrington said. “So, it’s not just going to be sitting in a classroom, it’s going to be the actual hands-on application of whatever that topic is. Because we do have access to some of the engineering labs and faculty have access to a lot of different resources there.”
Brad Jones worked in computers, the oilfield, the railroad and construction before taking an OSHA course with OSU. Before receiving the double Certified Safety and Health Official (CSHO), Jones had seen little appreciation and implementation of safety in his previous jobs.
“I have traveled to a few states working in safety and trying to convert workers like me into safety-conscious employees,” Jones said. “It is not always easy being one of the most unliked professions, but there is a secret. I was taught to teach and inform people why things are done a certain way. I strive to be the ‘safety’ person everyone wants, and I believe I have achieved it.”
OSU is home to the world-renowned Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology (FPSET) undergraduate program, which is ABET accredited and a Qualified Academic Program through the Board of Certified Safety Professionals. Three of the seven faculty members hold advanced degrees and multiple certifications. In addition to teaching academic courses in the FPST bachelor and master’s programs, they also contribute to the OTIEC through curriculum development and course instruction.
“I think there’s a perception out there that we serve internally for the university. The majority of our clients are external groups and companies. We have national, and with some programs, international reach there.”
Faculty at CEAT Professional Development go above and beyond to bring people in the industry the best experience. Wendy Johnson, program coordinator, has provided students with meals, excursions and in some cases, arrangements for a place to stay. Her days can start from 7 a.m. and last until around 9:30 p.m.
“We see quite a few repeat people,” Johnson said. “We also have lots of companies that love this lab so much that they come about three times a year to bring different employees in for training. So not only do we see repeats of individuals, but of companies.”
The department works to grow and adapt to new changes each year. Program coordinator Bonnie Kaiser-Gambill has worked in the department for over four years and has assisted in several different programs.
“Every year I feel like we reassess,” Kaiser-Gambill said. “We try to make it better with big changes. There have been some staff shifts internally, but that also helped us grow with new people and new perspectives.
Overall, we have focused on the online aspect as COVID-19 hit. Our focus is understanding meeting the needs of people and being really adaptive to people along the way.”
Expansion is the goal for CEAT Professional Development. Whether it’s staff, students or technology, the program is hoping to grow and become more industry responsive. The department has worked toward its accomplishments with a staff of less than 10.
With continuous growth in all areas, Stewart hopes that in a few years, CEAT Professional Development will use the growth to specialize in nationwide industry areas.
“We’re excited to work with companies and educational partners to assess and determine how we can serve in the advanced mobility, renewable energy and energy efficiency technology sectors,” Stewart said. “Our mission is to ensure the cutting-edge knowledge and expertise at OSU is translated into training opportunities our companies need to ensure their current and incoming employees are prepared.”
Photos: Kristi Wheeler
Story by: Bailey Sisk | IMPACT Magazine