OTC, CFO begin $50K challenge grant program

Ozarks Technical Community College and Community Foundation of the Ozarks are challenging the community to support OTC's work force development programs, and CFO is offering to put its money where its mouth is.

For every dollar raised between now and Nov. 30, CFO will match the donation dollar-for-dollar, up to $25,000, according to a news release. The OTC Foundation, the college's fundraising arm, plans to use the money for the Center for Workforce Development's Transport Training Institute.

The challenge grant is part of CFO's 2010–2011 Springfield Metropolitan Grantmaking Cycle, as a response to an area identified as a community red flag in the 2009 Community Focus Report for Springfield and Greene County. The report cites local income and wage issues, along with lack of job growth, regional unemployment and funding issues for OTC, according to the release.

“Although (OTC) plays a critical role in training and retraining regional employees to meet employers’ needs, it continues to face major funding challenges,” the report said. “OTC has the third-highest enrollment of any community college in the state, yet ranks last in state funding.”[[In-content Ad]]