CWD, Continuing Education give options in education

By Steve Koehler

For those who find themselves out of work or in need of more training to get a new job, Ozarks Technical Community College offers a potent one-two punch with offerings from both our Center for Workforce Development and Continuing Education Center.

Here’s a look at both departments and how they might be able to help you.

Center for Workforce Development

The Center, with the recent addition of Dawn Busick as its executive director, has taken on a new attitude and new mindset when it comes to the technical education it offers for the workforce that make up the region’s business and industry.

“Education is the core of creating wealth.  It is my tenured experience in economic development and workforce development has taught me an abundant talent pipeline possessing educational attainment and skills is what makes a region, a community and a state globally competitive,” Ms. Busick says.

“The closer the skills of the labor pool align with the skills required by the economy, the more competitive the region will be. Demands for timely educational offerings, demands for meeting current and future employer needs, and demands for high technology educational delivery methods.  I am excited and honored to serve OTC and Missouri’s southwest region.”

For businesses looking for ways to keep their workforce up-to-date with the latest techniques, training methods and innovations in their fields, the Center for Workforce Development has plenty to offer.

Courses in leadership development, manufacturing solutions and OSHA-certified training are all on the Center’s menu of available courses.

For the individual, the Workforce Center offers individuals job potential at its Transport Training Institute with students getting a chance to become a licensed commercial truck driver in as little as five weeks.

Continuing Education Center

The Center offers courses for jobs in the fields of healthcare, computer technology and early childcare.

“OTC and the Continuing Education Center offer a number of certificate training programs that will get you ready to go to work immediately,” said Dana Patterson, director of the Continuing Education Center.

The noncredit healthcare programs meet needs of individuals seeking quality, affordable programs that train them for a specific job and do so in a matter of weeks.
 
• The Certified Nurse Assistant program meets for 8 weeks for class time and clinical hours.

• Pharmacy Technician and Phlebotomy Technician generally meet for a full semester one night per week, but this summer, they are both being offered in a condensed 7-week program, meeting twice per week.

 Most classes meet in the evenings, allowing an individual to work at their regular job during the day and train to move into a professional position by night. CNA is offered in both formats, day classes and evening classes.
  
• An 11-week Medical Claims Analyst program is available for those interested in healthcare billing.

• Computer technology enrollment is on the rise for individuals seeking improved skills to gain access for interviews or in preparation to meet new demands and be more competitive in the workforce.

Continuing Education offers classes for the very beginner who needs basic skills to be able to search for work and complete online applications to those needing high-end technical training. The flexibility of the schedules allows individuals to take courses at day in one-day sections, by night or even on weekends.

• The Child Care Associate Credential has been increasingly in demand, as more and more facilities require their employees to be credentialed. The program consists of 120 classroom hours, assistance in preparing a professional portfolio and observation of work skills. National accreditation is gained upon completion of this program.

 Steve Koehler is coordinator of publications at Ozarks Technical Community College.