Metro Technology Centers (Metro Tech)

PROJECT PURPOSE

To help meet the workforce gap, a grant from the American Rescue Plan Act would allow Metro Tech to expand its healthcare program facilities in order to double enrollment in the Practical Nursing program to 84 annually and quadruple enrollment in the Surgical Technology program to 48 annually. Both programs serve adult students and provide immediate job entry upon graduation. Funds will be used to renovate space in the STEM building at the Springlake Campus, purchase equipment for both Simulation/Skills and Surgical/OR labs, and add classrooms. Other healthcare programs, such as pre-nursing high school programs, would also benefit from the expansion of the labs. Additional benefits are gained with the potential to expand high school health programs in the future. High School partnerships with Oklahoma City Public Schools, Millwood Public Schools and Crooked Oak Public Schools offer a pipeline to students interested in healthcare pathways at Metro Tech, which will support the rising demand of workers in the healthcare field. All students certified in career-training programs from Metro Tech can further their education with college degrees.

EVIDENCE

There is evidence of need for more nurses due to four specific causes: 1) the impact of COVID-19 on the staffing needs of healthcare systems, 2) early retirements from nursing, 3) the aging population within the nation and the State of Oklahoma, and 4) the identifiable need for more nurses within Oklahoma. These causes are cited within the attached proposal. The employment of Surgical Technologists is projected to increase by 9% by 2030 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many vacancies already exist in entry level Surgical Technology jobs from career advancement in the field after continued education.

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

Oklahoma County?s population is 17.4% Hispanic or Latino and 20.7% of Oklahoma City?s population is Hispanic. More than 126,000 Oklahoma County individuals speak a language other than English. This data warrants a unique need for bilingual healthcare workers to serve a vulnerable population and translates to a higher population at risk, with 16% of people in poverty within Oklahoma County, including nearly 34,000 Hispanics or Latinos. Low income is also one of the strongest predictors for compromised health, and Oklahoma County?s rate exceeds the national by 2.6%. Metro Tech serves Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS), Crooked Oak Public School (COPS) and Millwood Public School. OKCPS and COPS have much higher Hispanic makeups, at 56% and 67.1% respectively, than the state average of 18.2%. Correspondingly, the Hispanic demographic makeup of Metro Tech?s full-time programs for the 19/20 school year was 41.37%. This data demonstrates Metro Tech?s ability to supply a diverse workforce of healthcare employees for the industry. Their bilingual abilities, coupled with knowledge of their communities, makes them excellent employees at hospitals. This grant will assist in meeting the needs of the most vulnerable and underserved within the community who have been greatly impacted by the pandemic.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

Performance of all Metro Tech programs is ensured by multiple methods. Programs accredited by a program-specific accrediting entity, such as Practical Nursing and Surgical Technology, have program standards which are set by and reviewed regularly for compliance by their accrediting entity. Performance is also assessed annually through an internal systematic program review process which includes 10 specific measurements used to determine program impact. These 10 measurements are outlined in the attached proposal. Individual student performance is monitored continuously by instructors and other resources are available to help remediate student performance issues.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma