PRYOR, OK – Cherokee Nation has officially celebrated the opening of its new Career Services office in Pryor, OK. Leaders from Cherokee Nation, City of Pryor, Cherokee Nation Businesses and the Mid-America Industrial Park celebrated by cutting the ribbon on the new Cherokee Nation Career Services office located at 6789 HWY 69 S in Pryor, OK.
The Career Services Office in Pryor was relocated to the new space and will help serve more citizens in the Mayes County area, as well as provide additional space for employees and guests to be socially distanced. The office offers GED training and testing, tribal training services, dislocated workers program, temporary assistance for needy families programs and other federal programs operated by Career Services to help citizens effected by the opioid epidemic or COVID-19 pandemic find employment. It will also offer space for state offices and programs.
“I have a great deal of admiration for what Career Services does,” said Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr. “It’s indispensable to what our larger mission, which is to strengthen this reservation, make sure we lift people up, lift our communities up, and what better way to do that than to create a path to a career. We’re very fortunate that we have this department doing such high-level work to make that basic proposition that everyone ought to get a chance to have a good career and Cherokee Nation Career Services makes it reality every day.”
Since taking office in 2019, the Hoskin Administration doubled spending on career training and, earlier this year, announced under the Cherokee Nation’s $1.8 billion spending plan of American Rescue Plan Act funds, they dedicated $100 million over the next three years for job training, small businesses and economic impact.
Chief Hoskin, Deputy Chief Bryan Warner, Secretary of State Tina Glory Jordan, Secretary of Veteran Affairs S. Joe Crittenden, Tribal Councilor Janees Taylor, as well as Career Services employees and guests were given a tour of the facility and one of the two new mobile training units that Cherokee Nation Career Services will be utilizing for job fair and vocational related events and activities.
“Chief Hoskin and I both believe that expanded career opportunities will help more of our Cherokee families during difficult times,” said Deputy Chief Bryan Warner. “These opportunities also improve the economic health of our whole region and this expanded office in Pryor will be a more convenient location to assist. Recovering the economy is essential for protecting our families and our communities. Cherokee Nation Career Services offers so much to get us on the road to securing a beneficial future for both Cherokee Citizens and non-Cherokee Citizens alike.”
Career Services also has offices in Tahlequah, Stilwell, Sallisaw, Jay, Pryor, Claremore, Vinita, Tulsa, and Muskogee.
“We’re very excited about the new location in Pryor,” said Diane Kelley, Cherokee Nation Career Services Executive Director. “Our staff is now offering expanded services and the office will now be able to offer more to the Mayes County and Rogers County area. We’ll be doing a lot more recruiting and we’re just really looking forward to working with MidAmerica and everyone in that region.”