A Conversation With ... Dawn Busick

Tell us about OTC's Center for Workforce Development.

We go out and meet and profile businesses (to offer) the skills and training that they need, through a series of interviews with the (human resources) executives and sometimes the company presidents, and we try to create and develop a total (customized training) package. We offer industry-recognized credentialing, which is certificate-based, and it could be for college credit. We help all businesses, but we do have some areas of focus: leadership, manufacturing, (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) training, forklift training, green construction, alternative energy and green jobs, and we have the Truck Driving Training Institute. We have nine employees.

Are there still jobs to be had in southwest Missouri?

We now have a talent pool with high-skilled workers with degrees ... competing for the same jobs that the under-skilled or underemployed or unemployed are competing for. ... I refer to it as a talent puddle. We no longer have a lot of high-skill, highly paid jobs, but what we do have is a lot of middle-skill, middle-pay jobs that everybody's competing for now. (These) would be jobs with a sustainable wage of maybe $12 to $20 an hour versus a salaried position.

What are some key work-force challenges in southwest Missouri?

The only thing that's unique to the region is the demand occupations. We are high (in) transportation, manufacturing, tourism and hospitality. We have a solid health care industry sector here. ... One of the No. 1 issues with businesses, and it has been since the 1980s, is that we don't have a skilled work force, more so in what we call the soft skills - basic reading, basic math and logical thinking.

In which sectors do you anticipate southwest Missouri job growth?

In advanced manufacturing - there are 175 manufacturing companies in a 30-county radius in southwest Missouri - and through innovative technology like robotics and megatronics. Green technologies ... and health care.

What led you to OTC in March?

I was let go by the (Gov. Jay) Nixon administration, but I left on really good terms, and I started pursuing other opportunities. Then I got a phone call that Phil Davis here at OTC retired, and would I be interested in coming to the community college? I really enjoyed the interview process. ... I was asked to come back for a second interview by (OTC President Hal) Higdon, and he's what sold me. He used to do work-force development in his prior position in Mississippi-Gulf Shores, and he understands work-force development and he supports the goals that I have for ... moving and advancing this program forward.

What are some of your goals for the center?

Let's advance the center and become a total business solution center for the community. Not so much in just addressing customized training to specific businesses, but let's expand our horizons and expand our funding by going after grants and foundations and offering business solutions, from retention solutions to innovative technology solutions to business consulting, as well as customized training programs.

What's new for the center?

We've created a customer service/hospitality training program for the Branson area through a regional collaboration. We have a U.S. Department of Labor grant solicitation going out (to) go forward with some new training initiatives for the college (with) health care simulators (and for) allied health care, transportation, advanced manufacturing and information technology. Currently, in the country, there are only four schools that are accredited to offer what they call a cross-certified robotic arc-welding certification. We are now partnering with the American Welding Society (to) hopefully become the fifth.

Tell us about your family.

My oldest son is John Joseph - we call him J.J. - and he's attending Linn State Technical Community College and is 21. ... My youngest son, Blake, is a junior at Mizzou, pursuing sports medicine and physical therapy. My parents live part time at Lake of the Ozarks. Home for my family is Springfield, Ill., but all of my sisters have condos at the lake.[[In-content Ad]]