Chisholm Trail Technology Center’s (CTTC) Business and Industry Services team, led by Director Paul Hursh and Small Business Manager Dan Craig, recently wrapped up a major workforce development initiative in partnership with Pioneer Telephone Cooperative.

The project, funded through a $503,000 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) broadband training grant secured in the spring of 2023, provided industry-specific safety and technical training to Pioneer employees across the state.

Following 18 months of planning between CTTC, Pioneer and vendor BreakThru Training Solutions (BTS), the project launched in October 2024 and spanned 19 weeks, officially concluding in March 2025.

Throughout the project, 195 employees participated in 614 enrollments, accumulating a total of 7,608 training hours.

The comprehensive training series focused on essential telecommunications industry skills and safety standards.

Courses included:

• OSHA 10 Telecom Industry Safety

• Ladder Climbing for Telecommunications Equipment Use

• Bucket Truck Safety & Operations (OSHA & ASME Standards)

• Pole Climbing & Rescue • Load Securement

• OSHA Confined Space Training

• Hands-On Trenching & Shoring (without excavation or rigging)

• Essential Fiber Optics: Splicing, Termination and Testing BTS provided expert trainers Steve Sexton and Tim Sexton for the project, ensuring instruction was tailored specifically to the needs of the broadband and telecommunications sectors.

CTTC and Pioneer share a longstanding partnership centered on employee training and workplace safety.

For more than 20 years, Hursh has led safety training initiatives for Pioneer employees across multiple locations, including fire extinguisher training, forklift operations, bucket truck safety and CPR certification for first responders.

This deep partnership also led to the creation of a CTTC commercial driver’s license (CDL) training site in 2021 after Pioneer requested commercial CDL training for its workforce.

To date, seven Pioneer employees have successfully completed the five-week CDL course through CTTC.

Blake Callaham, General Manager of Pioneer, praised the ongoing collaboration between the cooperative and CTTC.

“Pioneer is grateful for our partnership with CTTC. The various training programs have significantly enhanced our employees’ skills and safety awareness, boosting our overall performance,” Callaham said.

“We look forward to continuing this collaboration with CTTC to help foster a safety-centric culture.”

CTTC Superintendent Kurt Thomas said the partnership not only benefits those locally, but is also an example of what can be accomplished across the state.

“The successful completion of the broadband training project demonstrates the powerful impact of collaboration between CareerTech and industry, helping to ensure Oklahoma’s workforce remains strong, skilled and ready for the future,” Thomas said.