Five years ago, Wagoner High School partnered with MidAmerica Industrial Park in Pryor to bring an exciting new option aimed at providing Wagoner High School students with an enhanced opportunity to explore the many career possibilities that MidAmerica provides.
The course that is provided is referred to as the “Industrial Operations Technology” program of study. This program is designed to prepare high school seniors for entry-level production positions in industrial environments upon graduation. This industry designed and developed program focuses on five critical areas within manufacturing/industrial environments. The program will be enhanced with experiences that expose students to local companies and industry professionals to bring real-world examples and insight to the learning process. Essential Employability skills will also be addressed during the program to instill the most sought-after skill sets by employers and to prepare participants for the job-seeking and interview process.
Most of the students that enroll in this program are students that generally aren’t wanting to go the traditional route of college, but rather want to hit the workforce and start making a living after graduation. With this program, students get the chance to learn essential skills that can guarantee success and a lifelong career with companies located inside of MidAmerica Industrial Park. So far, Wagoner High School students have seen great success with the program and have earned jobs that not only pay well and have great benefits, but also set them up for career success that could last a lifetime and could change their lives drastically going forward.
The program's instructor, Mani Karupiah is an experienced Economic Development Director working in the higher education industry with a demonstrated history of extensive leadership, management, customer relations, sales/marketing, production and quality control experience; over the past 33 years in a multinational manufacturing environment. Not only is Mani completely qualified to teach these pertinent skills to our students, he is also willing to go the extra mile in helping them land really great jobs! Our students absolutely love Mani! You will never find Mani without a smile on his face or trying to build relationships with students that he feels he can make a lifelong impact with. We are so thankful to have the opportunity to work with him and MidAmerica!