Wolverine, Academy give boots to students

OKMULGEE — Wolverine, a maker of work boots and clothing, partnered with Academy Sports + Outdoors to give more than 300 students at the School of Construction Technology at Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology a pair of work boots.

During Wednesday’s event students also received lunch and other giveaways.

The giveaway is part of Wolverine’s Project Bootstrap, designed to shed light on the growing skills gap. Wolverine is focusing its efforts on recognizing and preparing the next generation of skilled workers and will donate 2,000 boots directly to students at trade schools across the country.

Students at OSU Institute of Technology focus on applied technologies, and in the School of Construction Technology, students specialize in key facets of the residential or commercial construction industry

that allows them to be positioned for long-term career advancements including fields like construction management, electric, HVAC, or high voltage lineman.

“We have been really fortunate to speak directly with students studying at OSUIT, and learn about their passions for the skilled trade industry,” said Michael Boss, Wolverine’s digital marketing specialist. “We’re excited to partner with OSUIT, as well as Academy, to shed light on a growing problem

while also recognizing the students who are making the commitment to go into the skilled trades.”

“This is a great opportunity for our students to receive a pair of Wolverine work boots that most will wear on the job site,” said Steve Olmstead, Dean of the School of Construction Technologies at OSUIT. “For some of our students, securing additional funding to purchase boots for their first internship can be challenging.”