Resources

OBPVS Enabling Statutes
OBPVS Permanent Rules (Title 565)
Useful Resources
Oklahoma Works Critical Occupations

Types of Schools Typically Licensed

At any time, there are one hundred twenty or more schools licensed by the OBPVS. In broad categories, the OBPVS licenses schools that provide training in:

*When combined with Programs not exclusively licensed by the State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering.

General Questions

1. What is a private vocational school?
   The schools the OBPVS licenses are defined by the training offered rather where located/housed.  Beginning in August 2015, the Oklahoma Legislature clarified that in addition to live training and correspondence courses, the OBPVS should license on-line (distance education) schools that make certain training available to Oklahoma residents.  The three main training features that require a school license in Oklahoma are that the entity is:

   1. Private, meaning it is not a public entity or fully paid by tax funding
   2. Remunerated for the training provided
   3. Offering training of a vocational or occupation nature.
      For additional information refer to Title 70 O.S. §21-101, the statutory definition of a private vocational school and the License Wizard page. 

       

2. What are the OBPVS Office Hours? 
   Monday through Friday. The OBPVS has a staff of two (2) who may occasionally all be assigned to off-site activities at the same time. Please call prior to coming to the office to be sure someone will be here when you arrive.
    
3. What Holidays does the OBPVS take? 
   The OBPVS is closed for all state holidays.
    
4. Where is the OBPVS located? 
   3700 N. Classen Blvd., Ste. 250 (2^nd Floor)
   Oklahoma City, OK 73118
    
5. What does the OBPVS license? 
   Schools that 1) are not public schools, 2) that charge people for the training that is 3) usually postsecondary (after 12^th grade) in nature and used for the student to gain employment.
    
6. Can I ask if a school is licensed? 
   Yes, and the OBPVS will tell you how long the school has been licensed or see the list of licensed schools.
    
7. Is there a list of schools already licensed? 
   Yes. Click to download a PDF of the licensed schools.
    
8. What does it mean to be, "accredited"? 
   Accreditation may be used at least two different ways depending on the context in which it is used.
   
   1. To the OBPVS it is used in identifying a separate, independent process conducted by a non-governmental entity with its own application steps. The standards applied by an accreditor vary with each accreditor. 
   2. The term "accreditation" may be implied by others to mean the authority of the OBPVS to license a school. However, the OBPVS does not identify itself with the term accreditation this way. Schools are, "licensed," by the OBPVS.
       
9. Does the OBPVS require schools to be accredited? 
   No. If a school secures accreditation and self-imposes the higher standards of the accreditor, the school will be responsible for maintaining the accreditor's higher standards.

Useful Resources

These links are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by the Oklahoma Board of Private Vocational Schools (OBPVS) of any of the products, services or opinions of the corporation or organization or individual.  The OBPVS bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links.  Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.

Federal

U.S. Department of Education

U.S. Financial Aid

U.S. Department of Education Recognized Accreditors

U.S. Department of Labor 2018 SOC Code Information

U.S. Department of Labor 2000 SOC Code Information

State

State Department of Education (Grades K to 12)

Department of Career & Technology Education (Public Technology Centers, Vo-Techs)

Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education

State Approving Agency (Veteran Funding Approval)

Oklahoma Accountancy Board 
Useful to check for CPA Licenses and Permits to Practice

Oklahoma Board of Nursing

Oklahoma Department of Commerce 

Oklahoma Works

Oklahoma Workforce Data

Oklahoma Governor's Council

Local WIOA Boards

Oklahoma Legislature 
Search Legislators or currently pending Oklahoma House of Representative or Senate Bills

Oklahoma State Courts Network (use the Legal Research Tab)
Research Oklahoma Statutes

Oklahoma Secretary of State 
Use the Administrative Rules Tab to research Rules and use the Open Meetings Tab to research Board Schedules

Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitative Services 
Possible funding source for some students' training 

OK Job Match by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission

Independent Accrediting Organizations

ABHES, Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools

ACCET, Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training

ACCSC, Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges

ACICS, Accrediting Council for Colleges and Schools

U.S. Department of Education Recognized Accreditors

NASASPS, National Association of State Administrators and Supervisors of Private Schools 
State's equivalent of the OBPVS

NASBA, National Association of State Boards of Accounting 
Research a non-Oklahoma CPA

SARA, State Authorization and Reciprocity Agreements, applicable to Degree Education 
Provided via Distance Education, on-line learning

SHEEHO, State Higher Education Executive Officers Association 
Research education postsecondary requirements for states other than Oklahoma

Oklahoma Works Critical Occupations and Data

Occupation List

Critical Occupations List for Oklahoma

Following Governor Fallin's term as the chairman of the National Governors Association and its America Works Initiative, Oklahoma Works was formally rolled-out during the Governor's 2015 State of the State address. The OBPVS then began to collect additional data from the schools the agency licenses using SOC (Standard Occupational Classification, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics within the U.S. Department of Labor) or CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs by the National Center for Education Statistics within the U.S. Department of Education) Codes. Crosswalks exist to rapidly convert one code to the other. 

Visit the US Dept. of Labor SOC to learn more about SOC Codes, view a list, or access the Crosswalk. 

The coding is significant, because the State of Oklahoma identified Critical Occupations vital to the lines of employment. Hence, education and employment were formally linked together to enhance workforce development. The original 2014 listing of Critical Occupations predicted available employment in 2020 where 2016's identified occupations extend to the year 2025. Education is important to train people for the jobs that will be available. 

Through education the Skills Gap (a difference between the training accomplished by individuals and the forecast available jobs) may be reduced.

Graduate and Enrollment

To date, the OBPVS has collected data twice from the sub-set of licensed Schools that were already internally collecting data, by SOC or CIP Code. For both the 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 enrollment periods, data was reported by twenty-two (22) schools by SOC Code. On the two enrollment years' data reports, a field on the table that is in white (absent of color) identifies the exact education level specified for each individual Critical Occupation.

Critical Occupations Graduate and Enrollment Data

The OBPVS began analyzing workforce development data from licensed schools for the 2012/2013 School Year. In 2016, an OBPVS added a Data Rule to facilitate data acquisiton by CIP Code and other identifiers. The OBPVS' latest published report, OBPVS Enrollment and Graduation, is available to download by clicking here.

If Workforce Development is of interest to you, please be sure and review the information available throughout this page.