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ORD, Neb. - Central Community College plans to begin construction on its Ord facility on October 26th. Valley County Economic Development made the informal announcement at its board meeting Wednesday afternoon.
According to Caleb Pollard, Executive Director of Valley County Economic Development, the College plans to be open for the start of the spring 2010 college semester in
January.
Pollard said the area should look at the College in two different tiers.
"One, is it benefits the local consumer like you and me. It gives us access to education opportunities to improve our own education attainment levels," said Pollard. "What that allows us to do is go out and earn more money. I mean, it gives us the potential to go and do things that not having an expanded presence, like we will have here gives us; that opportunity to have that expanded presence."
"The other side of it though is, what I always like to call, institutional opportunities," added Pollard. "It gives us a way to connect with our local business community. And implement strategies to improve their employees' educational attainment levels. And work with them to reach programs for customized job training, leadership training, etcetera. That allows us to groom from within our own employment base and raise their abilities, educational attainment abilities, as it relates to the businesses. But it also helps the business create training programs they can do outside the business and not have to necessarily focus on that, allow the Community College to train the workforce to fit the business community's needs; you know we have manufacturing and ethanol and all kinds of specific specialties like welding, machinist, so on and so forth, that need skilled training."
"The future of economic development as well as the future of educational attainment relies on your ability to access to secondary educations." The Central Community College will be located in the old Hamilton Communications building which also houses the Valley County Economic Development and Ord Area Chamber of Commerce offices.
Pollard said Central Community College plans to make a formal announcement on October 5th.
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