Propelling Our Community’s Workforce into the Future

PROPELLING OUR COMMUNITY’S WORKFORCE INTO THE FUTURE

Ozarks Technical Community College has acquired a national reputation for academic and technological innovation, excellence and service, and is committed to shaping the future of manufacturing. The Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing will breed new thinkers who are not only capable of embracing a rapidly changing economy, but inventing it.

A skilled and well-trained workforce is the lifeblood of a community. Missouri’s manufacturing industry has approximately 2,900 job openings each year and a significant skills gap exists for nearly 2,000 of those workers. It is vital that OTC be prepared to train and support the talent pipeline.

The college’s 120,000 square foot Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing will be dedicated to serving as the regional hub for all advanced manufacturing and technology-related education and training. The center’s innovative footprint will include:

Specialized hands-on learning environments
Customizable simulation training centers
Research and development labs
Designated process-improvement space
Business incubation test centers
A centralized, fully-operational manufacturing plant
Manufacturing training and industry support

FUNDRAISING

The Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing is a $40 million transformative investment that will have a $431 million impact on the economy in ten years. It will be made possible through the resourceful combination of public financing and philanthropic investment from generous supporters.

Voters in OTC’s taxing district made the decision in April 2018 to invest in the Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing by approving a five cent property tax increase. OTC is building on this with a capital campaign led by the OTC Foundation.

Now is the time to invest in the future of southwest Missouri and inspire our students and local industry with a spectacular new space where they will collaborate, create, and dream—space that optimizes processes, integrates emerging technologies and discovers next-generation capabilities.

INDUSTRY VISION

The infrastructure provided by the Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing will allow OTC to address industry-identified needs through the support of increased short- and long-term education and training opportunities, as well as industry-specific customized training in advanced manufacturing.

The center will have the capacity to address current issues in the manufacturing sector including, siloed operational training, lack of customized training programs, and the absence of dedicated space for process improvement and industry research and development.

This responsive center will also attract new, potential manufacturing businesses to the region

COLLABORATION

A Corporate Advisory Board has been established to guide the project’s progress to ensure the comprehensive education and training needs of southwest Missouri are met successfully.
The board is comprised of community leaders, manufacturing industry representatives, higher education personnel and regional economic developers.

This group will outline the vision and steps of execution to align OTC’s Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing with current and future industry and community needs.

TRAINING HIGHLIGHTS

The facility will offer short- and long-term training opportunities that cover a breadth of industry specializations, and focus on the future of the advanced manufacturing industry. Specifically, OTC will focus on providing training in emerging and high-growth areas of the manufacturing sector, including:

Robotics
Fabrication
3D printing
Mechatronics
Automated systems
Lean manufacturing processes
Predictive and preventative equipment maintenance

Drafting and design
Virtual and augmented reality
PLC, HMI, motion control
Sensors, actuators and interfaces
Network integration
Internet of Things (IoT) solutions

CORPORATE ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

QUOTES FROM INDUSTRY LEADERS

“Multi-Craft values the high-quality education and training OTC will provide to the local workforce and is committed to serving as a business and industry partner.”

— Greg Herren, General Manager, Multi-Craft Contractors, Inc.

“OTC’s Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing is an opportunity for Southwest Missouri to change the landscape of its regional economy. AmProd values the opportunity to be a key partner in this important work.”

— Bill Hammitt, President, COO, AmProd Holdings

“Students are starting to make the connection that advanced manufacturing is not only a path to a meaningful, well-paying job, but to the restoration of their communities and their environment.”

— Joe Reynolds, President, Central States Industrial

NEWS

OTC breaks ground on manufacturing center, announces naming gift
The largest capital investment in the history of Ozarks Technical Community College will bear the name of the late businessman… Read more »
Emerson pledges $500,000 donation to OTC’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing
Emerson, a global technology and engineering company based in St. Louis, donated $500,000 to Ozarks Technical Community College’s Center for… Read more »
OTC debuts new 20-year master plan
With a focus on students, safety and accessibility, Ozarks Technical Community College unveiled its new 20-year Comprehensive Facilities Master Plan… Read more »

Have any questions? Email us now!

pmc@otc.edu

Have any questions?
Email us now!