Field Site Training Safety

Visually identifying our students in the field is an enormous safety advantage for our instructors and a main reason OCC implemented our by-level colored t-shirt uniforms for every student. To accommodate the cooler weather our student uniforms will be updated with our December 10th class. Each student will now be easily identified in the field with by-level colored hard hats (Level 1 -yellow, Level 2- orange, Level 3- red and Crane- blue). Additionally, each student will be provided with an OCC hooded sweatshirt at the beginning of their program. Printed with our OCC logo, these uniforms also become a great advertising avenue as our graduates proudly sport them for their almamater.

VA Accreditation Update and Other Agency News

Well, it’s official. All Oklahoma College of Construction programs have been approved and OCC is now an Approved Training Provider for Veterans. Paperwork and training manual are on the way from Washington, D.C.

Suzanne Constien just returned from the Texas Work Source Conference held in Houston and our booth was a big success. Several of the Texas Boards that had not approved our programs in previous applications came by our booth and requested Suzanne resubmit information to their board. Most of these requesters were either Board Directors or Chairman of the Boards.Suzanne has also been working on a connection between Oklahoma Youth and Construction Companies hiring or offering scholarships to the youth that fall into the In-Need Group. There is a meeting set for November 29th @3:00 at the OCC Campus. AGC, OMC, Oklahoma Educators, and Youth WIA Directors and ODOT will be in attendance. Federal funding for the Workforce Centers in most states has been greatly decreased for 2008. Suzanne is searching hard for other scholarships that can possibly help with the funding for agency students for 2008 fiscal year.

Hotel Accomodations

It takes about 10,000 hotel room nights a year to accommodate our students annually. A task OCC and the management of Extended Stay Oklahoma City takes very seriously. I recently met with the Regional Management Team of Extended Stay to discuss a plan to improve the comfort level of our students while they are in school. A few new benefits our students are enjoying include a membership to a local 24 hour fitness center, on site security, flex schedule cleaning service and brand new recliner chairs. Providing a comfortable, safe environment for our students where they stay and study is a top priority for us at OCC. Since nearly 95% of our student population hails from out of town, a partnership with Extended Stay Oklahoma City is the first step in meeting the students needs and a great step in providing a home away from home so our students have a successful experience while here in Oklahoma.

Thanksgiving Cheer

Happy Thanksgiving! And it was for our students who could not be home with their families this Thanksgiving. Despite being away from home and their families- the OCC staff brought the warmth of the Thanksgiving home cooked meal to them. Lora Lobb, Administrative Specialist, spearheaded an idea to take home cooked fixins’ to the hotel for students staying over the holiday weekend. The idea was welcomed by several members of the OCC team who each contributed something. The hotel provided a room for the gathering and nearly a dozen students came by the reserved room and shared the meal. Thanks Lora for spearheading the project and to all the staff that provided something to make this holiday special for our students.

OCC Day 2007

Warm sunny skies, giant inflatable toys, and volleyball made the perfect combination for our 2nd annual Oklahoma Day. On the beautiful beach pavilion of Arcadia Lake we grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, played tug-a-war, swam and played on the beach, and set cardboard and duct tape boats afloat. A lively volleyball competition added to the fun, while others duked it out in a fierce trivia competition.

A day away from the office was just what we all needed and gave us the opportunity to enjoy one another’s company, and meet our newest family members. The sun set on our outing, but it did not diminish the fun as we packed up and already started planning our next adventure.