DMACC Perry VanKirk Academy hosts Chamber coffee Friday

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About 25 members of the Perry Chamber of Commerce were welcomed Friday morning to the campus of the DMACC Perry VanKirk Career Academy by Director Eddie Diaz and Career Advantage Program Counselor Barb South, who hosted the Chamber’s monthly coffee meeting.

After introducing several other DMACC staff members, Diaz discussed some of the recent program innovations at the Perry DMACC and the opportunities for students to acquire job skills without also taking on a mountain of college debt. He said the Perry Promise Scholarship Program, underwritten by support from local community donors, helps students take classes at two-thirds the normal cost.

South outlined the Career Advantage Program, a partnership offering high school students the opportunity to earn college credits by taking Career Advantage classes either at their home high school, at DMACC or online. The DMACC Perry’s current Career Advantage students come from Perry, Woodward, Granger, Panora, Adel, De Soto, Minburn  and other area school districts, South said.

The spring semester started Monday, said Diaz, who was appointed director in August 2018. He said new programs in the works include development of a building-trades curriculum and John Deere-specific welding classes.

The DMACC Perry VanKirk Career Academy also offers ESL classes, HiSET classes — formerly called GED — and courses for lifelong learners. A set of Microsoft Office classes will start in February. For more information, visit the DMACC website or call 515-428-8120.

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