Carl Albert State College is proud to announce the addition of Stephanie Qualls to the team to serve as the director of the River Valley Employer and Education Partnership built on the platform of the recently awarded Strada Grant.
“I am so excited for the opportunity to continue to serve the students of Sequoyah County by connecting them with resources and tools to help them be successful post-graduation,” said Qualls. “It excites me to think of these students completing their degree and contributing to and strengthening our workforce here in Eastern Oklahoma.”
Qualls holds a Bachelor of Science from Oklahoma State University and a Masters of Education in Higher Education Administration from the University of Arkansas. Her most recent experience includes serving as an adjunct faculty member at Carl Albert State College and Activities Coordinator for the American Indian Resource Center. Qualls’ strengths include relationship-building, interpersonal communication, needs assessment, and project management.
“The individuals on our team at Carl Albert State College are what make this the fantastic institution it is,” said President Jay Falkner. “We’re proud to welcome Stephanie to the Viking family, and are excited to see the great work she will do to benefit our service area. She’s a bright light and positive addition to our organization.”
The two-year grant from the Strada Education Network Employer Community College Partnership Challenge will expand a proven partnership that connects learners to education and in-demand employment opportunities and strengthens economies. Strada awarded the $400,000 grant as part of an effort to support innovative collaborations across the country between community colleges and employers in their region. CASC also will participate with Strada in a community of practice to learn from other select community college-employer partnerships around the country.
This partnership will build on current and establish new working relationships with both local educational and employer partners to increase the number of qualified applicants in rural eastern Oklahoma for positions in health care and child care. The program will integrate with CASC academic programs, as well as the Indian Capital Technology Center and Oklahoma Schools Advisory Council to provide the educational components needed to help fill open positions in both health care and child care for in the area. The program will also collaborate with the Cherokee Nation, City of Sallisaw, Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs and Adventure Head Start, evaluating educational needs to prepare and help fill local work force openings. And finally, the program will strengthen pipelines of students from the public schools, CASC, the City of Sallisaw, Indian Capital Technology Center, Cherokee Nation and others, working to support local educational and healthcare needs.
“The opportunities on the horizon for our area are wildly exciting and we are so excited and honored to help contribute to that growth,” said Qualls.
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