Beginning in the fall of 2019, technical education students at Ozarks Technical Community College can pursue their degrees with an emphasis in remanufacturing. The college’s diesel, automotive and manufacturing students will have the opportunity to enhance their employability with a series of courses developed specifically to prepare students for high-demand jobs in the remanufacturing industry.
Local remanufacturing companies ─ SRC Holdings Corp., CNH Industrial Reman and John Deere Reman ─ collectively approached OTC with a request that the college address the field’s growing workforce needs. As a result, OTC officials worked directly with these industry leaders to develop a remanufacturing-focused pathway for its students.
“Springfield is considered by many to be the remanufacturing capital of the world,” said Matt Hudson, OTC’s dean of Technical Education. “And we are proud to partner with industry leaders in an effort to meet our community’s growing workforce needs.”
The new remanufacturing courses offered by the college will cover the following fundamental remanufacturing principles: core management, inspection and cleaning, salvage and reclamation through machining, assembly and testing, and preventative maintenance. The courses will also include an intensive hands-on training component. Graduates who follow the new remanufacturing pathway will have the emphasis in remanufacturing technology noted on their diplomas.
Remanufacturing is the process of taking failed or worn equipment parts and fully restoring those parts to as-good-as or better-than-new conditions. The benefits of remanufacturing include conserving natural resources while lowering the total cost of ownership of the end user’s equipment and driving higher dealer profit margins. Springfield is home to eight remanufacturing companies and 2,500 jobs, which account for nearly $100 million in payroll annually.*
The inaugural Global Reman Day, coordinated by the Remanufacturing Industries Council, will be held April 12, 2018. Local remanufacturers will host tours and educational events to highlight the many benefits of remanufacturing as well as career opportunities available within the industry. More information about Global Reman Day can be found at remanday.org.
*Statistics provided by the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.
