OTC trains City of Ozark workers in computer skills

By Steve Koehler

City of Ozark officials say recent training some of their employees received from a customized course offered by Ozarks Technical Community College will save the city money now and in the future.

“The better job our workers can do, the more money we save. We are trying to give them the tools to be as efficient as possible. Being efficient will save the city money directly and indirectly,” said Ozark City Administrator Steve Childers.

Approximately 16 Ozark workers received computer training recently in an effort to make the city’s public works employees more efficient in the use of their computers on site.

Sherry Coker, workforce specialist business manager for OTC’S Center For Workforce

Development, said she teamed with Lenette Hebrink, public works coordinator for the city of Ozark, to develop a customized computer application training program to meet the specific needs of the public works and sewer plant employees.

The 16-hour course, conducted at the College’s Richwood Valley campus in Christian County, gave workers from the city’s sewer and street departments training in how to enter and receive information while out of the office working on projects.

“They are learning the basics in how to work on the computer and entering data correctly,” Hebrink said.

The training program was organized after city officials met with Sherry Coker and Veronica Lowe of the College’s Center for Workforce Development in June.

“We worked with the city to develop a customized computer application training program to meet the specific needs of the public works and sewer plant employees,” Coker said.

Once the workers receive the training, they will be able to use the laptops in their trucks and in other locations to enter data such as important information from the city’s lift stations at the sewer plant.

Street maintenance workers can receive work orders on site if there is an urgent job to completed. Detailed information can be included in the report sent to the worker via the computer.

“Our guy at the shop can get the information and send it to the workers,” Hebrink said.

Childers said the employees were excited about the training they received.

“They were ecstatic about taking the class. The city had never offered any kind of training like this before. Anytime you can take advantage of an opportunity to work with a great organization like OTC in a customized class to educate and train employees, it’s a win-win for everybody,” Childers said.

John McCart, one of those who took the class, wrote to Childers to thank him for the opportunity to take the training.

“It was the most HELPFUL class that I have had the opportunity to take. I hope the City of Ozark realizes that making people more familiar with computers will help productivity and save money in the long run,” McCart wrote.

Childers said it’s likely more training programs will be arranged between OTC and the city.

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