Summary
High school students may train to become Emergency Medical Technicians at OTC beginning in the fall of 2023.
High school students can train as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) while still in high school through the Ozarks Technical Community College Career Center. The OTC Career Center allows students from 18 different school districts to attend OTC for half their school day and their sending school for half the day. The EMT program for high school students will begin in the fall of 2023.
“Last fall, the college hosted an Explore OTC day for students interested in the Career Center, and around 300 students expressed interest in an EMT program,” said Kelli Akers, director of the OTC Career Center. “We had never offered EMT courses to high school students before, but we listened and developed the program to begin this fall.”
The EMT Career Center track is a one-year program for high school juniors and seniors. Besides the half-day, on-campus coursework, students will also complete clinical training. This will include sessions in an emergency room and four 12-hour shifts in an ambulance.
Students who complete the program will receive an EMT certification. They can go straight to work for a hospital or ambulance service, or they will be prepared to begin one of OTC’s health sciences programs, such as paramedicine.
The Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC) estimates that the state will see 574 openings for EMTs and paramedics annually this decade. MERIC reports that the annual salary for workers in the profession averages $38,170 annually.
Students interested in the EMT program may visit the Career Center’s website for more information, call 417-447-8126 or email careercenter@otc.edu.
