Career Ready – Ivy Tech Kokomo

Ivy Tech Kokomo Helps High School Students Jump-Start College & In-Demand Careers

Ivy Tech Kokomo is greatly expanding its partnerships with area school systems to allow high school students to begin working on their post-secondary credentials while still in high school. Students who complete their credentials before graduation can then transfer them to Ivy Tech to pursue a more advanced credential or transfer to a four-year institution to get a head start on their bachelor’s degree.

These partnerships are addressing workforce gaps for employers in the greater Kokomo area. Since many of the courses students are taking are dual-credit, the initiative is saving students — and their families — time and money while leading to employment in some of the area’s most in-demand fields, such as health care and IT.

Healthcare Specialist

In Cass County, Ivy Tech is proud to offer a Pre-Healthcare Pathway that allows students to earn a Technical Certificate in Healthcare Specialist. Through this program, students also obtain certifications as Certified Nurse Aides (CNAs) and in dementia care, ultimately becoming state-licensed CNAs. The pathway includes essential prerequisite coursework for many of Ivy Tech’s selective admissions health care programs. Several students who completed this program have already progressed into Ivy Tech’s Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program, while others are on track to complete four-year degrees one to two years ahead of schedule.

Beginning this fall, Ivy Tech will expand the Pre-Healthcare Pathway to Miami County, where students can choose to earn a certification in Certified Clinical Medical Assisting (CCMA) instead of CNA. This flexibility allows students to tailor their education based on career goals, while still earning the Healthcare Specialist Technical Certificate. Graduates will be well-prepared to either enter the workforce directly as CNAs or CCMAs or transition seamlessly into a selective admissions healthcare program immediately after high school. By completing prerequisite courses early, students can save up to two or three semesters of college coursework.

Looking ahead, Ivy Tech plans to introduce an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certificate to the Howard County program starting in fall 2026, further expanding opportunities for students pursuing careers in health care.

Information Technology

Ivy Tech is also proud to offer a dual-enrollment partnership with the Kokomo Area Career Center, through which students can earn their Technical Certificate (CT) in Informatics and have the opportunity to achieve their A+ Certification. The college is actively working to enhance the program by integrating work-based learning experiences in collaboration with local school districts and area businesses.

Public & Social Service

Criminal Justice pathways are offered in both Howard and Cass counties, allowing students to earn a Technical Certificate in the field. Through strong partnerships with local and state agencies, students benefit from engaging guest speakers, expert panels, hands-on learning experiences, and immersive field trips that bring real-world context to their studies.

Education

There is also an Early Childhood Education pathway with Lewis Cass Polytechnic Academy where students earn their Technical Certificate in Early Childhood Education while completing work-based learning in the Lewis Cass Early Learning Academy.

Later this year, Ivy Tech is launching a Teaching Pre-Apprenticeship program designed for high school sophomores and juniors. Through this pathway, students will complete a Technical Certificate in Elementary Education while gaining valuable, hands-on experience through work-based learning in local classrooms. Upon high school graduation, students will seamlessly transition into Year 2 of the Teaching Apprenticeship program.

Looking Ahead

Students continue to express interest in a wide range of career fields, and Ivy Tech is actively working to expand local work-based learning partnerships across all industries.

Within the Information Technology and Education pathways, efforts are focused on collaborating with school districts to help address transportation challenges that can impact students’ ability to participate in work-based learning experiences.

In the Industrial Technology Early College Pathway (ITEP), Ivy Tech’s most recent cohort partnered with Stellantis and HMH contractors. The college is now seeking to broaden these partnerships to provide even more opportunities for students across the region.

Ivy Tech Kokomo offers a variety of dual-credit and dual-enrollment courses throughout its service area. In addition to offering Indiana College Core courses, the institution offers programs in:

Accounting, Advanced Automation and Robotics, Advanced Manufacturing, Agriculture, Automotive Technology, Building Construction Technology, Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Cybersecurity, Design Technology, Early Childhood Education, Education, Electrical Engineering Technology, Healthcare Specialist, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC), Hospitality, Human Services, Informatics, Industrial Technology, IT Support, Machine Tool Technology, Marketing, Medical Assisting, Networking, Photography, Precision Agriculture Equipment Technology, Smart Manufacturing and Digital Integration, Software Development, Visual Communications and Welding.