ENID, Okla. (OBV) – The Oklahoma Department of Commerce is awarding the first-ever Public-Private Partnership incentive for Education and Workforce Development in an effort to enhance Oklahoma’s workforce pipeline.
The Commerce Department and Northern Oklahoma College (NOC) in Enid are partnering together to build a new state-of-the-art Athletic Training and Education Center.
“A skilled workforce is critical for Oklahoma to be competitive on the national stage, and this new facility will make Enid a leader in athletic training education and sports medicine services,” said Heather Turner, Deputy CEO of Commerce & Executive Director of CORE. “I’m proud of Northern Oklahoma College for stepping up to address the state’s rapidly growing need for athletic trainers. This P3 award is just the beginning of Commerce’s efforts to enhance and facilitate industry workforce development.”
The Athletic Training and Education Center will be 2,000 square feet, creating additional space for students to enroll in high-demand courses.
The center combines the classroom, lab and athletic training room into a centralized location. It also provides modern, industry-standard equipment to students to prepare them for real-world careers in sports medicine.
The college is investing $1.5 million in the facility’s creation. The Public-Private Partnership is contributing $675,000.
Three Enid-area hospitals and Enid Public Schools will benefit from the new facility. Nursing students will receive additional training opportunities, particularly in rehabilitation and injury prevention.
“NOC so appreciates ERDA Director Dr. Marcie Mack for guiding us through the P3 process,” said Diana Morris Watkins, President of Northern Oklahoma College. “From our own experiences in trying to hire athletic trainers, we are keenly aware of the need to grow the pipeline for athletic training students in Oklahoma. Through this partnership with Enid Public Schools, Great Salt Plains and St. Mary’s, NOC will be able to offer a high-quality facility that will increase the number of athletic training and pre-health care students transferring to our four-year partner schools and supplying workforce needs in K-12 schools, colleges and hospitals across the state.”
The additional space and improved facilities will enable the college to serve an additional 27 students in its Allied Health, Athletic Training, and Physical Fitness programs.
The facility is expected to be completed in 2026.
