YVCC Hosting Skills Open House

Yakima Valley Community College is hosting an open house highlighting the school’s Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training, or I-BEST, programs including how they benefit agriculture.

Director of Student Support Services Marc Coomer said, “I-BEST got started because we found there was a need from employers to get trained employees that hadn’t completed their high school education or had a skills deficit.”

That meant a lot of potential employees for agriculture and other industries just needed some basic training to become viable.

Coomer said one of the examples of how I-BEST can help agriculture is their wine tasting room certification where they teach students about winemaking and the industry.

“The I-BEST program is important because it’s the start of getting students on a pathway to get their foot in the door to get into the industry.”

The school’s open house runs from 1-6 p.m. at each of their branch locations throughout the Yakima Valley and Ellensburg.

The locations:

• Yakima Campus: 16^th Avenue and Nob Hill Blvd., Yakima, WA 98902                     509.574.6850
  • Available Programs - High School 21+, I-BEST, GED Prep, GED Exam, ESL
• Grandview Campus: 500 West Main Street, Grandview, WA 98930                           509.882.7000
  • Available Programs - High School 21+, I-BEST, GED Preparation, GED Exam, ESL
• Toppenish Learning Center: 720 W. 3^rd Avenue, Toppenish, WA 98948                     509.834.4550
  • Available Programs - High School 21+, GED Preparation, ESL
• Sunnyside Learning Center: 2590 Yakima Valley Hwy, Sunnyside, WA 98944          509.837.9623
  • Available Programs - High School 21+, GED Preparation
• Ellensburg Learning Center: 401 E. Mountainview, Ellensburg, WA 98926                509.925.4011
  • Available Programs - High School 21+, GED Preparation

If you have a story idea for the Washington Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail krounce@cherrycreekradio.com.