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The local Everest Institute plans to add dental assistant and electrical technician diploma programs to its curriculum offerings by January of next year.
Ray Gutierrez, campus president, says the institute decided to add the two new programs to better address the needs of the local employment market.
In addition, within the next two years, Gutierrez says the Everest Institute will apply for accreditation from the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools in order to offer degree programs.
The local Everest campus is currently accredited to offer only diploma programs, which are typically completed in nine months for entry level job-market positions. The local campus presently offers diploma programs and training for entry level positions in occupations such as medical assistant; medical insurance billing and coding; and residential heating, ventilation and air condition (HVAC).
These programs, Gutierrez says, allow students to receive the necessary training for in-demand careers and to enter the workforce quickly.
Once the new level of accreditation is received, Gutierrez says the school will change its name to Everest College and began offering associate degree programs.
Gutierrez says there’s been an increasing demand across the country for Everest’s degree programs in areas such as criminal justice, business management and accounting.
“Our goal is to be a provider of qualified candidates for the local workforce,” Gutierrez says.
Eva Esquivel, industry cluster liaison and communications manager for Workforce Solutions Alamo, says Everest Institute is currently certified by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) as an eligible training provider with respect to two of its diploma programs. This means that individuals seeking training through the institute’s residential HVAC and medical insurance billing and coding programs can receive tuition reimbursement from the TWC.
Esquivel says proprietary schools like Everest provide the training vital to meeting the needs of local employers.
“We look to private and public third-party institutions to provide the training necessary for individuals to be able to qualify for the occupations that currently exist or that will exist in the future,” Esquivel says.
Everest Institute has about 850 students and is located on the city’s North Side at 6550 First Park Ten Blvd.
Everest Colleges and Everest Institutes in Texas are part of Corinthian Colleges Inc. (NASDAQ: COCO), a post-secondary education company that operates diploma and degree-granting schools.
There are more than 100 Everest campuses located in 23 states in the U.S. and Canada — eight of which are in Texas. (San Antonio Business Journal)
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