The Ozarks Tech Springfield campus is gearing up for ExploreOTC, the annual event where sophomores from area high schools learn about opportunities to attend classes at the college during their junior and senior year. More than 1,000 students from 26 southwest Missouri schools are expected to participate in this year’s event, which is scheduled for…
This spring, Ozarks Technical Community College will provide short-term manufacturing and welding courses that can be completed in two to ten weeks. The classes prepare students for entry-level positions in their chosen fields. For the spring of 2024, the following courses are scheduled for the OTC Springfield Campus. Fundamentals of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Operation…
Ozarks Technical Community College graduate Bryanna Shaffner never thought of herself as a trailblazer for women in the workplace — she was just looking for a good job. But when Springfield’s Stainless Fabrication Inc. (SFI) hired Bryanna as a welder in 2019, she was the company’s first female welder. “It was a little nerve-wracking at…
Fewer than 2% of teenage mothers graduate college by age 30. When Dee King heard that statistic, she knew she couldn’t do anything about being a teen mom, but she was determined not to become a part of the 98%. Her son, Shane, was born in Dee’s hometown of Missoula, Montana, just before Christmas, during…
When Sariah Reed picked up a torch and chose to study welding at Ozarks Technical Community College, some of her family members asked her why she wanted to do “man’s work.” But Sariah didn’t see it that way. “It’s not about being a different gender; it’s about your knowledge and skill in doing the work,”…
Ozarks Technical Community College will offer an accelerated, four-week welding boot camp this summer to meet the needs of the industry. Students pay nothing to attend the boot camp, and financial grants are available for living expenses. Anyone may enroll in the class as long as they are at least 18 years old. The welding boot…
For the first time in college history, Ozarks Technical Community College will offer two sections of its 20-week Industrial Welding Specialist course for the fall 2021 semester. The next Industrial Welding Specialist course begins on August 2 and concludes on December 17. Students who graduate from the program earn a welding technology certificate of achievement…
Welding is more than just a skill for OTC student Chase Woodiel – it’s also an art form. The soon-to-be welding graduate works at The Forge, LLC in Pleasant Hope, Missouri. She designs and creates custom “sissy bars” – also known as sister bars or passenger backrests – for motorcycles. “We’ve made bars ranging from…
When Josh Green enrolled at OTC several years ago to study welding, his goal was to learn a worthwhile trade so he could move out of, what he called, his dead-end retail job. Before his college career was over, he had more than eclipsed that goal. Josh was one of the first students to enroll…
Josh Pennekamp was a business student who knew nothing about welding before he came to OTC this year. However, after completing the college’s 20-week Industrial Welding Technology program, Josh is a business major with a twist. He says welding will be incorporated into his dreams of becoming a manufacturer. “I love welding. It’s a great…
Clearly, Opal-Jewel Clark has a unique name, but it’s fitting for this OTC Career Center student because Opal-Jewel is a rarity: she’s a female who hopes to become a welder. “Welding is meant for me. I felt like that’s what I should do,” the junior from Clever High School said. Opal-Jewel, 16, hopes to be…
