WITH THIS EDA INVESTMENT, OZARKS TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE WILL CONSTRUCT A NEW WORKFORCE TRAINING FACILITY ON THE RICHWOOD VALLEY CAMPUS IN CHRISTIAN COUNTY, MISSOURI. THE TRAINING FACILITY WILL PROVIDE SPACE TO EXPAND THE COLLEGE'S CURRENT AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY TRAINING PROGRAM AND PROVIDE DEDICATED INSTRUCTIONAL SPACE FOR AN EXPANDED LINEWORKER TRAINING PROGRAM. THE 14,880-SQUARE-FOOT FACILITY WILL INCLUDE FOUR CLASSROOMS, A TRAINING LAB, MULTI-USE ROOM AND MORE TO EXPAND INSTRUCTIONAL AND TRAINING CAPACITY AT THE COLLEGE BY NEARLY 90 PERCENT. THE COLLEGE EXPECTS TO GRADUATE AN AVERAGE OF 20 LINEWORKERS AND 50 AGRICULTURAL WORKERS ANNUALLY IN ORDER TO SUPPORT A DOCUMENTED NEED FOR QUALIFIED WORKERS BY LOCAL UTILITY AND AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYERS. TRAINED WORKERS FROM THIS PROGRAM ONCE PLACED IN HIGH QUALITY JOBS WILL SUPPORT THE PROSPERITY AND RESILIENCE OF RURAL, HIGH-POVERTY AREAS OF MISSOURI.