Kalamazoo Valley hosts Corrections Officer Academy

The Kalamazoo Valley Law Enforcement Training Center at Kalamazoo Valley Community College is offering a four-week-long Corrections Officer Academy that runs from February 19 to March 16. Classes are held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Groves Campus. Registration is open to the public.

The Corrections Officer Academy is a Michigan Sheriffs Coordinating and Training Council-approved, 160-hour certification program for correctional personnel supervising inmates in county jails. Employment opportunities for certified corrections officers are exceptionally high and are expected to increase over the next decade. The annual starting salary for an entry level Corrections Officer is approximately $33,400.

This four-week program focuses on obtaining the skills necessary to maintain the safety and security of a correctional facility. The tuition is $1,200 and the program is eligible for funding through the Kalamazoo Promise and Veterans Administration Education Benefits.

Open enrollment will take place at the Groves Campus on Monday, February 5, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Due to limited space for the academy, candidate evaluations will be conducted to determine admittance into the program. Admission to the program will be granted on a first come, first served basis to those who meet the minimum eligibility requirements.

To be eligible for academy consideration, participants must: be at least 18 years of age; possess a high school diploma or equivalent; apply to become a Kalamazoo Valley student; have no prior felony convictions (including expunged convictions); and successfully meet minimum scores on Kalamazoo Valley placement tests. Minimum ACCUPLACER placement scores include a 44 in Reading and a 76 in Writing or COMPASS scores of 61 in reading and 50 in writing. No minimum math scores are required. Upon successful graduation 10 credits from KVCC will be awarded.

Individuals interested in coming to Open Enrollment should bring their driver’s license and placement scores. To reserve a seat in the academy, a nonrefundable deposit of $250 is required at the time of registration.

For more information, visit www.kvcc.edu/corrections or contact Paul Bianco at 269.353.1261 or pbianco@kvcc.edu or Kenyatta Herrion at 269.353.1280 or send an email message to kherrion@kvcc.edu.