Kirkwood relocates training programs

CEDAR RAPIDS - Kirkwood Community College has consolidated its continuing training, high school completion and career path programs to a building on the main campus in Cedar Rapids.

The Kirkwood Center for Lifelong Learning is housed in the former RuffaloCODY building located on the northwest corner of the main campus next to the Michael J Gould Recreation Center.

The facility includes Kirkwood Continuing Education and Training Services, the high school completion program and Kirkwood Pathways for Academic Career Education (KPACE), a training pathway. Evone Vognsen, director of career education program development, said in a news release the strategy behind the move is twofold.

The new location will provide increased access to lifelong learning, professional development and training opportunities. It also will open the eyes of students from primary and secondary education, and short-term training programs to opportunities at the community college.

'Our courses and certificate programs expand every year,” Vognsen said. 'This year, we are offering some high in-demand professional development certificates including excellence in leadership and human resource management and a sales professional certificate.

'Our new facility also will include class offerings in popular programs for personal development including foreign language classes. We also have computer labs at our new location where you can learn the latest versions of software such as Microsoft or learn about graphic and web design.”

The high school completion program and KPACE were previously located in downtown Cedar Rapids. The move to the main campus was facilitated after RuffaloCODY, now Ruffalo Noel Levitz, turned over its building to Kirkwood when it moved to a new 92,000-square-foot corporate headquarters at 1025 Kirkwood Parkway SW.

'Having these students on the main campus enables them to get a taste of community college,” said Kim Becicka, Kirkwood vice president of continuing education & training services. 'Being exposed to Kirkwood and all we offer will perhaps prompt them to consider continuing their postsecondary education.”