Ozarka College was recently awarded a $437,000 grant from the Delta Workforce Grant Program (DWP) through the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) to establish a Skilled Trades program and expand the Welding program at Ozarka’s new Technical Center in Mountain View. The announcement is part of a $10 million investment in projects across eight states through the DWP. The grants address the employment and training needs of the local and regional workforce, created in collaboration with community partners and aligned with existing economic development plans and strategies.
Dr. Josh Wilson, Ozarka vice president of advancement, says “This significant investment from DRA is a major step in advancing the trades workforce in Ozarka’s underserved rural communities here in north central Arkansas. The DRA grant will complement the significant shared contributions from local industries, state agencies and private donors in supporting the new technical center in Mountain View.”
The Mountain View Technical Center (MVTC) project has been a year in the making. The expansion of Ozarka’s workforce education in Mountain View comes after months of employer, high school and constituent engagement to determine local economic and workforce training needs. The DRA funding will support the acquisition of training equipment for the startup of skilled trades and to expand welding and the renovation costs of the new center to house the two programs.
Marcus Orf, director of workforce education,says they projected a need for expanding welding in Mountain View based on class demand last year, but we also wanted to expand offerings to better support our regional needs.
The Skilled Trades program will include training in electrical, HVAC, plumbing and basic construction. Upon completion of the one-year program certificate, Ozarka students will be prepared to enter the workforce directly with local employers and, when applicable, transition to their apprenticeship.
For more information, contact Director Orf at 870-994-0996 or marcus.org@ozarka.edu.
To learn more about how to support the MVTC project, contact Dr. Wilson at 870-368-2059 or advancement@ozarka.edu.
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