Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC) was recently notified that its Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) degree was approved as a training program by the Kansas Department of Commerce. This approval allows the degree to be included on Kansasworks, an internet-based system that connects training providers with those in the workforce looking for a job, or those seeking to improve their skills for new career opportunities.
Institutions that wish to be included in Kansasworks must first be approved as a training provider. They must submit accreditation statements, and academic program offerings for review, along with other documentation to verify their status as a potential training provider. The University completed all of the necessary paperwork, and met all of the states’ requirements. Once approved, CUKC submitted the OTA program for review, which was also approved for inclusion by Kansasworks.
With its OTA program receiving approval, CUKC can now submit other academic offerings from its College of Health Sciences to be reviewed for inclusion as a training program. According to Melissa Denton, director of admissions at CUKC, the inclusion of the University in this state system is another way that she and her staff can help people achieve their professional goals.
“We hope this approval will create a new source of program exposure for individuals looking to enter the job market in a promising health profession such as OTA,” Denton said. “Our admissions team is always searching for new ways to educate those seeking new career opportunities, and there are case workers with Kansasworks that meet with job seekers every day.”
In addition to one-on-one meetings with those seeking new employment, Denton said that Kansasworks also hosts job fairs virtually and in person, and offers other avenues that allow CUKC to promote its College of Health Sciences degrees. They also try to support some job seekers with program funding expenses. The fact that CUKC has a scholarship program, federal financial aid opportunities, and other avenues to make a two-year degree program like OTA affordable, made it a good partner. The CUKC degree is an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Occupational Therapy Assistant.
Denton believes that many prospective students may be unsure what an OTA does, or how they engage with individuals to keep them comfortable in daily life skills after accidents or traumatic events, or when facing challenging disorders. For anyone seeking job assistance in the Kansasworks system, having the opportunity to learn more about this degree program is an added benefit for students, job seekers, and our institution.
“Someone looking for a solid career that, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, can have a mid-level wage that pays $30 an hour — or upwards of $60K per year — will find that in less than two years, they’ll have a very rewarding, and in-demand occupation where they can help clients who rely on their services,” Denton said.
CUKC has already submitted it’s A.A.S. in Radiologic Technology degree program to the state for approval. If that happens, it will join OTA as part of the Kansasworks system.
