GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (April 5, 2011) – The Everest Institute in Grand Rapids is partnering with the Gerald R. Ford Job Corps Center to deliver a series of monthly workshops focused on professional development and life management skills for area youth.

The program, which kicked off in January, supplements the technical training offered by Job Corps, a no-cost education and career technical training program for youth administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, in order to better prepare high school seniors for the work or educational opportunities available to them after they graduate.

“Our goal is to support the curriculum already happening in the classrooms by reinforcing the importance of professional development and life management skills,” said Jenna Inns, high school coordinator for Everest Institute, a leading provider of career-oriented diploma programs in health care. “Knowing how to present yourself to an employer, write a resume, or even prepare a household budget are crucial skills that these students can bring to all their future endeavors.”

While January’s session focused on business etiquette and professionalism, future sessions will be geared toward topics such as managing finances and goal-setting. In conjunction with the workshop, students also are invited to visit Everest Institute and learn about the programs available on campus.

“Many Job Corps students already are training for careers in medical and health-related fields as part of their program of study,” Inns said. “For these students, to see the facilities, equipment and type of health care career training available beyond Job Corps can be eye-opening.”

Throughout the sessions, Everest High School Coordinators use a variety of tools, including a professional skills trivia game that has been pre-loaded onto iPod Touch devices, to make learning exciting and interactive.

The Everest Institute in Grand Rapids is located at 1750 Woodworth Street, NE. For more information on programs available or to schedule a visit, please call (616) 364-8464 or visit www.everest.edu/campus/grand_rapids. Job Corps training is open to qualified students ages 16 through 24. For more information, please call (800) 733-5627 or visit www.jobcorps.gov.

About Everest Institute

Everest Institute provides career-oriented diploma programs in the healthcare and business fields. Everest has more than 100 schools in the U.S. and Canada, and is owned by Corinthian Colleges, Inc., one of the largest post-secondary education companies in North America. Everest Institute has five Michigan campuses, located in Dearborn, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and Southfield. For more information, visit www.everest.edu.

Media Contact: Hunter Hackett or Tim Young (for Everest Institute), call: 312/565-3900 or 800/837-7123, or email: hhackett@lcwa.com or tyoung@lcwa.com.