SPRINGFIELD, Mo. Ozarks Technical Community College received a $345,725grant from the National Science Foundation for its new automation and robotics program.

The program will debut in August at the Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced manufacturing (PMC). The grant is funded by the NSFs Advanced Technological Education program, which focuses on training technicians in advanced technology fields.

According to a press release, the grant will improve and expand automation and robotics instruction for manufacturing students at OTC and increase the awareness of automation and robotics career opportunities for middle and high school students.

Its not every day that an institution earns a prestigious National Science Foundation grant, said Danelle Maxwell, OTC manufacturing dept. chair. It is gratifying to know that the NSF finds the curriculum and rigor in this new degree pathway worthy of a significant investment.

Students in the program will learn how to operate and maintain automated systems commonly used in manufacturing.

The college has consulted with our industry partners to equip the Plaster Manufacturing Center with the latest machinery and technology, said Robert Randolph, executive director of the PMC. When we send graduates into a career, they will be ready to work from day one because theyve been trained on the most modern equipment. Plus, this grant will allow the college to engage with young students and encourage them to consider manufacturing as a career.

In addition to automation and robotics, the 120,000 square foot, $40 million Plaster Manufacturing Center will provide training in the following disciplines when it opens in August of 2022:

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OTC receives grant for new automation and robotics program - KOLR - OzarksFirst.com