Coconino Community College to Offer Classes to W.L. Gore Engineers

With Help from the City of Flagstaff

CCL Coordinator Alex Frawley, W.L. Gore Engineering Associate Kevin Norris, Director of CCL John Cardani, CCL Coordinator Lee Vadnais, Business Retention and Expansion Manager Kurt Haskell.    

When engineering associates at W.L. Gore, a privately-held company headquartered in Newark, Delaware, USA, with facilities in Flagstaff, AZ determined that they had a need for contextually based anatomy and physiology training, they began to explore their options. Although best known for their GORE-TEX® fabrics, they are also world renowned for their fluoropolymer products that provide innovative solutions throughout industry, in next-generation electronics and medical products, which explains the need for anatomy and physiology training for their engineers.

The first consideration would be to get the training they needed to be more efficient in their field; but like most companies in these economic times, cost was also a factor. After discussion, some of the engineers at Gore who had taken classes at Coconino Community College suggested CCC as a possible solution, particularly given the fact that the college's Community & Corporate Learning Division specializes in designing customized corporate trainings to fit the needs of local organizations. After comparing costs to other institutions and meeting with lead instructor for anatomy and physiology at CCC, Tom Lehman M.S., the Gore Engineers decided that CCC was the right choice. Lehman, along with Alex Wright of the Community & Corporate Learning Division, met with Gore engineers to understand their needs and develop curriculum based on specific content and time frame requirements for the company.

Engineering Associate at W.L. Gore, Patrick Norris, said, "We were excited that CCC was willing to develop a custom curriculum just for Gore." Classes will be held at Gore and in the new CCC lab at the Flagstaff Lone Tree Campus. The classes will start in early February and will be in session for 12 weeks, with a certificate awarded to the engineers upon completion.

Another key player in the initiation of the program is the City of Flagstaff. Executive Director of the Community and Corporate Learning Division at CCC, John Cardani, noted, "The start-up costs for a program like this are very high, and we truly needed help to meet Gore's needs and still make it cost effective for Gore. That is when we approached the Economic Vitality Department at the City of Flagstaff." The city became a collaborator, providing the needed start-up funds through a program within the department, and playing a large role in the successful partnership that now included CCC, Gore and The City.

Business Retention and Expansion Manager at the City of Flagstaff, Kurt Haskell said, "Our mission is to help existing businesses flourish, and Gore is one of our most valued businesses. We have cost shared with businesses like Motor Excellence, Southwest Wind Power, Joy Cone and Prent, and we are excited to have the opportunity to do the same for Gore."

In addition to customized corporate training and "green" industry sector job training provided by the Community and Corporate Learning Division, Coconino Community College provides affordable tuition and a wide variety of certificates and degrees including career/technical programs. Additionally, CCC offers online classes in continuing education and in person life-long learning workshops through the Community & Corporate Learning Division. Many classes transfer to four-year Universities. Classroom instruction is in-person, online and through interactive TV (ITV). CCC currently serves nearly 10,000 learners a year in Coconino County and has two campuses in Flagstaff, one in Page and offers classes via interactive TV in Grand Canyon, Fredonia, Tuba City and Williams.

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