OTC to train 495 unemployed workers

Ozarks Technical Community College will invest $1.6 million in federal funding to train 495 unemployed workers for the growing health care sector. This morning, Gov. Jay Nixon visited the Springfield community college to detail OTC's involvement.

OTC is receiving funding from the MoHealthWINs initiative, a $20 million statewide program announced Monday.

MoHealthWINS, funded through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grant Program, has enlisted the help of Missouri's 12 community college systems and Linn State Technical College to train people for an estimated 4,600 health care jobs.

OTC is serving as the statewide administrator of the grant. With the funding, OTC will launch:

• a new maintenance technician program, which would provide four, eight or 16 weeks of accelerated training for maintenance positions at hospitals and nursing homes;
• an expanded hearing instrument specialist program, which would provide an associate's degree for hearing instrument dispensers through a hybrid online and hands-on laboratory education; and
• an information technology program that would enable students to earn an industry certification in one semester for positions in the health informatics field.

"Missouri is home to a strong and dedicated work force, but we need to ensure that unemployed Missourians have the right skills and education to find and succeed in new jobs and careers," Nixon said in a news release. "I applaud OTC and all of our outstanding community colleges for their collaboration on this strategic investment in our state.”

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