Recognizing a growing regional demand for skilled trade technicians, Ozarka College says its new Mountain View Technical Center will open for the Fall 2024 semester. The center will offer technical certificates in skilled trades and welding technology. Ozarka said it has outgrown its existing welding center facility in Mountain View.
The Mountain View Technical Center will be located at a property three miles north of the junction of State Highways 5, 9, and 14 that Ozarka recently acquired. The college says the new property has buildings with sufficient space to house Ozarka’s growing technical program offerings in Stone County.
“Driven by community and local industry needs, the new skilled trades certificate will focus on electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and construction training in preparation for high-demand careers and seamless transition to apprenticeship and journeyman opportunities,” the college said in a release.
“It is exciting to see this expansion of technical education in Mountain View,” said Dr. Richard Dawe, Ozarka president. “We look forward to the first cohort of students entering this fall. This technical center will provide an outlet to train our future technicians in the region and provide the skills necessary to advance in high-demand, life-changing careers.”
In the coming months, the college will begin the project’s renovation and installation phase in preparation for students to begin in August.
Identification and acquisition of the new technical center location followed a year-long community and regional workforce needs assessment, the college said in the release.
Like welding, Ozarka’s new skilled trades program will not only be offered to students traditionally enrolled at the college but also to area high school students. The college is officially designated as a regional Secondary Technical Center by the Career Education and Workforce Development Board and may provide secondary technical training to area high school students. Secondary technical centers are designed to provide career and technical education programs too costly for the local high schools to offer.
The future home of the Ozarka College Technical Center in Mountain View / Images provided by Ozarka College
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