Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

New degree offered at OTC in industrial technology

Ouachita Technical College is offering an associate's degree in Industrial Equipment Technology.

Bob Washington, with OTC of Malvern, told members of the Clark County Industrial Council about the program, which is being operated in conjunction with the Southwest Arkansas Technical Learning Center in Arkadelphia.

The program, he said, was designed to fit the needs of business and industry, with specific curriculum in place for Arkadelphia's industries.

OTC students will soon complete a course in blueprint reading and the fundamentals of electricity, Washington said.

Simultaneously, OTC is interviewing people for the coming semester, when two more courses will be offered. Washington said OTC has had a wide variety of requests for courses, and will also be offering core English and math for the students.

The classes are open to anyone, though when the program was designed, it was with industry in mind.

OTC and the SWAR Learning Center, he said, are not competing with Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist universities, even though the two colleges do a lot of workforce training. OTC and the center, he continued, are primarily for industry.

The center's new facilities should be open in time for the next courses, according to Washington. The new building will be located on Sixth Street in Arkadelphia.

To earn an associate's degree in industrial technology, students must complete the following courses: intro to computers, freshman composition I, freshman composition II for industry, technical math, intro to physics, general psychology for industry, wiring methods, fundamentals of electricity, industrial safety, basic blueprint reading, introduction to CAD, motor and motor controls, mechanical devices and systems, fluid power, basic compression refrigeration, programmable logic controllers, intro to welding, intro to machining I, industrial power trans equipment and industrial instrumentation.

Brown Hardman, CCIC president, said the learning center will be the best thing possible for economic development for the community in the future.

Hardman told the board of directors bids were opened for the entrance of the satellite industrial park on Malone Drive, and all were higher than expected.

Work will be done to revise the plans downward to meet the budget.

At the next meeting, Hardman said, nominations will be needed for nine board members. The terms of seven members have expired, with two members leaving the area. All must be replaced.

The remaining board will select eight, with the ninth being the president's choice.

Hardman returned to the topic of the learning center saying there were mixed blessings for it. Center Director Linda Beene has been named director of the Arkansas Department of Education and will be leaving the center.

However, he said, she will be able to help the CCIC and center in her new position as well.

Meanwhile, though, Kevin Copeland, executive director of the CCIC, will be splitting his time and act as the center's interim director.