Denver, CO, March 23, 2011 – Westwood College is known for the hands-on training its students receive in a variety of fields including business administration, information technology and design. Westwood also maintains strong relationships with a variety of employers through its Program Advisory Committees (PAC) in an effort to further enrich opportunities for its students to succeed both while in school and after graduation.
“Westwood constantly pushes to work with industry leaders to figure out what they need to see in a qualified graduate,” said Greg Cann, CEO of Accelerated Network Solutions and a PAC participant. “That’s the best way to do it in my eyes, and that’s why we are very excited to join the Westwood advisory committee.”
In addition to providing input on the skills needed from graduates as part of the PAC, Accelerated Network Solutions regularly engages Westwood students as interns and has hired four Westwood graduates – two of whom are currently on staff. Shawne Dette is one of those graduates. Hired by the company in 2006, he said his internship ultimately helped him land the job he wanted.
“What I really love about this job is coming in and always learning something new. I’m never finished learning and that’s an incredible opportunity.”
PAC meetings take place regularly on all of Westwood College’s campuses. Different PAC’s exist for each school so they cover Westwood’s full scale of offerings including the schools of business, design, technology, justice, health care and industrial services.
“Westwood’s PAC committees are very important to us as they give us a direct link for open, two-way communication with potential employers,” said David Borofsky, provost and chief academic officer, Westwood College. “It has proven to be a successful way for us to add to our students’ experiential and employment opportunities and we appreciate all that we gain through these relationships.”
Seventy-five percent of 2009/2010 Westwood graduates are employed in their field or a related field of study. This statistic is based on the combined employment rates of Westwood graduates across all campuses as reported to Westwood’s national accrediting agencies for the period from July 2009-July 2010. Westwood offers one-on-one career advising from the moment students begin classes to help them map out their career goals. Additionally, a team of Employer Relationship Managers focus solely on expanding employment opportunities for Westwood graduates.
About Westwood College
Westwood College is an institution of higher learning with 17 campuses located in California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Texas and Virginia. Westwood offers a hands-on, career-focused curriculum featuring three-year bachelor’s degrees in many in-demand fields. Westwood is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) and the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), depending on the campus. For more information, visit /.