Discussions about creating a college in Battle Creek started not long after the former Battle Creek College closed its doors in 1938. In the early 1950s, as Battle Creek experienced a postwar economic boom along with the rest of the country, talk of a home-grown college in the Cereal City evolved into real plans. Local leaders investigated the idea and brought a proposal to the Battle Creek School Board, which voted unanimously on April 16, 1956, to establish a community college and offer classes the following September. From its beginning in a Civil War era military building, the institution that became Kellogg Community College grew into a proud, successful and autonomous institution which today plays a central role in higher education and workforce development that provides specialized training for businesses across the region.
KCC offers many education and training programs in industrial trades and production technologies. These programs focus on teaching the technical skills and abilities that are in high demand by local employers. Students may choose from two-year degrees or certificate programs in welding, machining, industrial technologies, and production. KCC's industry-trained faculty and staff are there to support students with career and academic advice throughout the program of study and beyond.
There were 323 job openings in the last three months in the Battle Creek metropolitan area according to Labor Insights/Jobs - Burning Glass. More than 200 of those job openings were from 10 large, local manufacturers.
Josh came to the KAMA training as an ex-offender who had issues getting a job due to his felony. Throughout the KAMA training, Josh proved to have a good work ethic and workplace skills. He was an excellent team leader on the production lines and helped his classmates study, so they could be successful also. After completing the KAMA training, Josh was directly hired by DENSO Manufacturing as a Production Associate.
We received a phone call from David, a former KAMA student. He stated that OnStaff (a staffing agency in our area who refers to our largest manufacturer) would like us to send them all of our students because “The KAMA students are the best employees they have gotten in a long time.”
The KAMA Program will now be offered at the Marshall Alternative High School (housed at Kellogg Community College’s Eastern Academic Center) starting on September 8, 2015 and running through the end of the semester, December 18, 2015. The program will be referred to as the Eastern Calhoun Early College. Instructors will teach on-site at their location and the students will be bussed to the RMTC for the manufacturing simulation.
We have additional partners in our Eastern Calhoun Early College initiative. Michigan Works! has joined our team and will assist in the recruitment of community members and Michigan Works! participants for these cohorts. We also have a strong interest from our manufacturing instructor to customize the curriculum to meet the needs of these individuals.
Kellogg Community College has strong partnerships with the Department of Corrections Transition Team, Haven of Rest Ministries (shelter for men, women, and children), and Silver Star Housing (housing for homeless Veterans). All of these organizations refer individuals to our KAMA Program and provide support during their time in the program.
The career coach was awesome. We didn’t have to go job hunting after we graduated, she took care of everything. KAMA Student
"KCC’s training has been a strong foundation in our past and will be in the future as we continue to be a global leader in manufacturing." Tim Cortright, Section Leader, Maintenance Group, Denso Manufacturing Michigan, Inc.
"The KCC Training has helped me in ways that I never imagined. It taught me to step outside of my comfort zone and be a professional in the workplace, learn about Lean Manufacturing, 5-S and OSHA Safety, but most importantly, it made me realize the leadership potential that led me to successfully gain employment." Tyesha Anderson
