‘Ozarks’ Promise’ to waive tuition for 372 OTC students seeking health care careers’Ozarks’ Promise’ to waive tuition for 372 OTC students seeking health care careers

Mary Ann Rojas, director of workforce development for the city of Springfield, and Dr. (Photo: Nathan Papes/News-Leader)Buy Photo

Citing the growing demand for health care workers, the city’s Workforce Development partnered with Ozarks Technical Community College to repeatedly apply for millions of dollars in grants to provide training at little or no cost for individuals.

The partners announced Monday that the persistence paid off.

The city and OTC were awarded a $3 million America’s Promise grant by the U.S. Department of Labor grant awarded to Springfield’s Workforce Development that will go towards waiving tuition for 372 OTC students seeking health care careers will have on the health care industry in Springfield on Monday, Nov. But, they didn’t seek the federal help on their own.

The following entities provided letters of support: Branson Area Chamber of Commerce, Burrell Behavioral Health, Citizens Memorial Health, Clark County Behavioral Health Center, CoxHealth, Mercy, Missouri Coalition for Community Behavioral Health, Oxford Healthcare, Ozark Region Workforce Development Board, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and the Springfield-Greene County Health Department.