EMS students practice life-saving skills.

CCC Holdrege Redefines What Makes a "College Kid" 

By Elena Olson King

Hundreds of seniors have graduated from local high schools this month and many are now headed to become "college kids," taking classes and learning skills to help them in the future. While Central Community College in Holdrege provides distance learning for traditional students, they also serve a spectrum of learners from seniors in high school to senior citizens. In addition to college credits and job skills training, CCC Holdrege helps people of all ages find a new skill or hobby through workshops, courses, and seminars.

Although the college center opened in Holdrege at the Phelps County Ag Center 20 years ago, CCC has served the community for even longer. Elaine Redfern served as the college liaison before Central Community College had a full-time center in Holdrege. "The Holdrege Economic Resource Organization (H.E.R.O.) helped bring CCC to Holdrege," Regional Director Diana Suiter Watson explains. (H.E.R.O. evolved into the Phelps County Development Corporation.) Since then, CCC has helped educate countless citizens in the area. Last year, nearly 10% of residents ages 18-65 participated in programs offered through the community college.

Even people who didn't take a course have benefited from CCC indirectly. Healthcare workers have taken state-certified medication aide classes that are offered through the Holdrege office. The college has trained workers from long-term care facilities like Holdrege Memorial Homes and Christian Homes through a nursing assistant course and provided testing for DHHS certification. Project HELP, a program to assist low-income individuals complete the required education for a number of health-related careers, also provides support for people interested in the healthcare field. "This summer, we will complete an E.M.S. (emergency medical services) class," Diana continues.

Residents of long-term care facilities are not the only senior citizens who have been impacted through the presence of CCC in Holdrege. In February, a class about how to master a smartphone was offered. Courses about how to maximize social security benefits, medicare enrollment, and preventing senior fraud have also enhanced the lives of older members of the community, in addition to classes which further recreational interests and hobbies.

Veterans of all ages can also find the career resources they need through CCC Holdrege. Each month, a social worker with the Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership program (V.I.T.A.L.) is available to assist the specific needs of students who are military veterans. Treatment to adjusting to student life, work and disability accommodations, as well as helping access VA and other resources are just a few of the services V.I.T.A.L. offers. More information can be found on the CCC website.  

Whether young or old; veteran or civilian, Central Community College provides college credits, vocational training, and extended learning services to the residents of the Holdrege area. G.E.D. and distance learning classes will continue through the summer and community education classes will resume in the fall. The Holdrege center includes five classrooms, an eight-station computer lab, a testing room (including computers for online testing), and distance learning classrooms.

The CCC Holdrege office is open from Monday through Thursday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and is closed on Fridays through the summer. The center is located at 1308 Second Street, on the east side of the Phelps County Ag Center at the Phelps County Fairgrounds. CCC Holdrege can be reached at (308) 995-8133, on facebook, or by email.

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