greater omaha education

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Bright Futures Foundation
The vision of this foundation is to identify Greater Omaha students of need and promise who will graduate from high school, help them enroll in post-secondary institutions and provide assistance, as needed, to graduate. The
foundation’s objectives are to increase the access to, and completion of, post-secondary programs by economically disadvantaged students. The high school component of Bright Futures Foundation helps with academic support, college application support, mentoring, counseling and work-study support. The post-secondary component of
Bright Futures Foundation will provide post-secondary guidance and counseling services, financial aid and
scholarship support, academic support, mentoring, counseling and work-study support.

Omaha 21st Century Education Council
Omaha 21^st Century Education Council is an initiative of the education and workforce development division of the Greater Omaha Chamber. Its mission is to ensure a quality educational system that results in high academic achievement for all students in Greater Omaha. The goals include ensuring Omaha area schools continue to
improve by monitoring their progress and quality, identifying any gaps in achievement and creating solutions to close those gaps. In addition, Omaha 21^st Century Education Council works to ensure the Omaha community has a ready and able workforce to support existing businesses as well as targeted industries for economic development.

Junior Achievement of the Midlands, Inc.
Provided at no cost, Junior Achievement provides in-school programs to help educate young people in grades K-12 about business, economics and free enterprise. Junior Achievement also impresses the importance of staying in school and the relevance of school to work. Classes are taught by volunteers who are often the first business role models young people meet.

Business, Education and Workforce Partnerships

The Greater Omaha community benefits greatly from numerous public-private partnerships and education is no
exception. Businesses understand that to have access to a quality workforce, they must be active and willing
participants in creating relevant learning opportunities – especially in the area of technology.

Omaha Workforce Funding Collaborative
In response to Omaha’s workforce needs, the Omaha Workforce Funding Collaborative was formed. This initiative uses a dual-customer approach to move low-income, low-skilled workers into gainful employment while also helping employers fill critical workforce needs. This is achieved through strategic partnerships that efficiently sustain a qualified, capable, workforce for employers willing to meet an acceptable threshold for wages and benefits. These partnerships include community-based organizations, educational institutions, employers and foundations.

Peter Kiewit Institute (PKI) of Information Science, Technology & Engineering
A combination of two colleges in Nebraska’s university system in partnership with business and industry, this higher education institute taps nearly 180 partners in the fields of information science, technology, telecommunications and engineering to meet the needs of the rapidly changing information technology field. The program offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in such areas as computer science; management information systems; architectural, civil, computer and electronics engineering; and construction-systems technology.

Colleges and Universities

Greater Omaha and the surrounding communities offer some of the top colleges and universities in the region including:

• Sixteen colleges and universities with a combined enrollment of more than 87,000 students
• Two internationally recognized medical schools – the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Creighton University Medical Center

Current enrollmnet statistics are provided below followed by brief descriptions of area colleges and universities.

Bellevue University
Bellevue University offers more than 40 graduate and undergraduate degree programs either on campus, online or through a variety of satellite centers throughout Nebraska and western Iowa. Some of the many program features include accelerated degree programs, an online library and cooperative credit-transfer agreements. Associate
degrees credits are also accepted and credit is given for corporate and military training.

Clarkson College
A private co-educational institution, Clarkson College offers a broad range of health-science degree programs,
including associate degrees in occupational therapy, physical therapy, patient information management and radiologic technology. Bachelor’s degree programs are also offered in health-related business, medical imaging and nursing. Students may also earn a master’s degree in nursing and a post-master's certificate as a family nurse practitioner.

College of Saint Mary
The only all-women's college in the region, College of Saint Mary provides an education that combines professional preparation with a liberal arts core and an emphasis on life-long learning. Students choose from more than 25 areas of study and various class formats – traditional day classes, evening and weekend programs and an accelerated
degree completion program. At the College of Saint Mary Lincoln campus, a weekend college program is also offered.

Creighton University
In the most recent U.S. News and World Report annual ranking, Creighton University placed first among all Midwest universities for its strength and array of undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. This private university, founded in 1878, is within walking distance of many downtown Omaha attractions and consists of nine schools
ranging from arts and sciences to business, law, pharmacy and health professions, nursing, dentistry and medicine. As a result, more than 7,000 students have access to a wide variety of career and advanced education options.

Creighton University Medical Center
Programs in the schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy and health professions prepare students for
practicing in the ever evolving healthcare market. A number of these programs encourage minorities to enter a healthcare field. Creighton’s research-informed specialty care programs include hereditary cancer, osteoporosis and cardiology. In addition, scholars at Creighton's Center for Health Policy and Ethics examine issues involving end-of-life care and have collaborated with European scholars to consider optimal care for Alzheimer's patients.

Dana College
This residential, four-year liberal arts college is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The
college’s 50-acre campus is just 20 minutes from Omaha and offers degrees in more than 40 major areas. Dana
College is nationally recognized for educational innovation and excellence and the Dana College Presidential
Scholarship program was named one of the 100 best in the nation by the Student Guide Publication Series,
Institutional Research and Evaluation, Inc.

Grace University
An independent, fully accredited, faith-based university, Grace University is committed to a Christian philosophy of education and offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs as well as a degree completion program and an online-learning certificate program. Its students represent more than 25 denominational affiliations. Founded in 1943, Grace University is located on a 22-acre campus near downtown Omaha.

Kaplan University
Kaplan University offers 18-month associate degree programs in accounting, business administration, computer
information systems, criminal justice, medical assistant, paralegal and interdisciplinary studies. Twelve-month diploma programs in practical nursing, dental assistant and massage therapy are also available.

Iowa Western Community College
Located just 10 minutes from downtown Omaha, Iowa Western Community College offers more than 80 career,
college-transfer and technical programs through its day, evening and weekend classes. Iowa Western also provides such amenities as an extensive Career Center, a licensed childcare facility, intercollegiate and intramural sports and a variety of extracurricular student activities. Students are able to take advantage of adult and continuing education courses on campuses in Council Bluffs and Clarinda or at educational centers in Harlan, Shenandoah and Atlantic.

ITT Technical Institute
ITT Technical Institute is a private college system offering technology-oriented programs in Greater Omaha. The
programs offered include information technology, electronics technology, drafting and design and criminal justice.

Metropolitan Community College
Metropolitan Community College is a public, tax-supported community college for the four-county area surrounding Omaha. With more than 14,000 students enrolled annually at its three main campuses, Metropolitan Community College offers associate degrees and certificates in more than 100 programs including academic transfer, business, computers, culinary arts and management, horticulture, human services, industrial technologies, nursing and allied health and visual and electronic technologies. The college also offers continuing education courses and workforce development training. Credit and non-credit programs, job analysis, skill assessment, consulting and customized training classes are also offered to meet local and regional business demands.

Midland Lutheran College
Midland Lutheran College, located in nearby Fremont, Neb., is an undergraduate liberal arts college offering nearly 50 higher-education programs. Majors include everything from nursing and youth and family ministry to business
administration and biology. In addition, numerous pre-professional programs at Midland help prepare students for graduate studies. The college was established in 1883 and has approximately 800 students.

Nebraska Methodist College
Affiliated with Methodist Health System, Nebraska Methodist College is a private health-professions institution. In each of its degree programs, the college draws upon the broad range of clinical experiences available through
affiliates of Methodist Health System and a variety of other community agencies.

University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO)
Established in 1908, the University of Nebraska at Omaha offers 95 baccalaureate degree programs, 66 advanced-degree programs and six doctoral programs. Approximately 15,000 undergraduate and graduate students attend UNO, which is distinguished as the only campus in the Nebraska University system to post consistent enrollment gains over the past five years. In 2008, UNO researchers received approximately $12.5 million in grants and awards – a more than 5 percent rise in the number of projects funded and more than 60 percent increase in award dollars compared to five years ago.

University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC)
Students at the University of Nebraska Medical Center earn degrees through the colleges of medicine, pharmacy, nursing and dentistry, the School of Allied Health Professions, the Office of Graduate Studies and Research, and the $77 million Durham Research Center. The College of Dentistry is in Lincoln, while the College of Nursing has sites at UNMC’s main campus in Omaha and other campuses in Lincoln, Kearney and Scottsbluff. UNMC is one of the country's leading centers in cancer, transplantation biology, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, biomedical technology, arthritis and bioterrorism preparedness.

University of Phoenix - Omaha
The University of Phoenix has approximately 1,200 students in the Greater Omaha area that attend classes at its Omaha campus or online.  Universtiy of Phoenix on-campus undergraduate and graduate programs in business management and business administration along with online programs in business, social and behavioral science, healthcare and technology.  Unlike a number of other University of Phoenix campuses, the Omaha campus offers and extensive list of business management courses exclusively online.  The universtiy offers more the 120 degree programs.

Vatterott College
Vatterott College provides students with the skills to succeedin such rapidly growing industries as information technology, business operations, medical technology and trades such as welding, electrical repair and HVAC. Vatterott emphasizes practical, hands-on training for technical careers with flexible scheduling, financial aid and career placement services.

Training Resources

From initial employee recruitment, to pre-employment testing and existing employee re-training, numerous programs have been developed to ensure Greater Omaha’s workforce has the skills that businesses need.

Customized Job Training Program
Aimed at providing new and expanding industry with a skilled labor force, the Nebraska Department of Economic
Development assists businesses in the development of customized training programs. Offered at little or no cost, qualifying businesses include those in manufacturing; service sectors with the majority of sales from interstate
commerce; research and development; warehousing and distribution; tourism attractions for profit or nonprofit, public or private; administrative management headquarters; and transportation. Working with industrial and educational experts, services include the development of a customized curriculum, identifying qualified instructors, locating training materials, acquisition of specialized equipment, creation of on-site training facilities as well as screening, assessment and interviewing to ensure only individuals having the appropriate aptitudes and abilities are recruited.

Nebraska Worker Training Program (LB 1337)
The Nebraska Worker Training Program (LB 1337), administered by the Nebraska Department of Labor, provides grants to assist firms in retraining and upgrading the skills of existing employees. The goal of the Nebraska Worker Training Program is to enhance the skill level and productivity of employees. Use of program funds is extremely
flexible with the type and length of training programs, training vendors and training materials mostly being at the
discretion of the company. Examples of eligible projects include:

        ·     Training required by the installation of new equipment and technology in the workplace
        ·     Worker skill assessments
        ·     Apprenticeship programs
        ·     English as a second language training
        ·     ISO-9000 training
        ·     Assisting staff to access new markets
        ·     Safety training
        ·     Labor/management cooperation activities
        ·     Benchmarking