Westwood College Online Recruiting Center Opens in Colorado Springs

Westwood College Online has opened a recruiting center in Colorado Springs, hiring 57, with plans to employ 130 by the end of 2005.

Colorado Springs, CO December 9, 2004 -- Assisted by the Greater Colorado Springs Economic Development Corporation (EDC), Westwood College Online has opened a recruiting center in Colorado Springs, hiring 57, with plans to employ 130 by the end of 2005.

Alta Colleges, Westwoods parent company, selected Colorado Springs for a variety of factors, citing an energetic and well-educated workforce, as well as a business-friendly environment. The company has already hired admissions representatives, financial aid counselors and other advisors to facilitate admissions for Westwood College Online.
    
Weve found such a great group of managers in these specific areas in Colorado Springs that (the Springs) really is looking to us like a viable place for us to grow, said Westwood Online President Shaun McAlmont.
    
Westwood College Online currently has more than 1,300 students taking classes. According to the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, online enrollment rates are growing faster than the overall student body and there will be more than 2.6 million online students by the end of 2004. The Foundation predicts a 24.8 percent 2004 growth rate for online students.
    
Westwood Online is committed to operating and growing their Colorado Springs facility to parallel its growth in the Online education market, said John Cassiani, Marketing Executive Vice President of the Greater Colorado Springs Economic Development Corporation. We are excited to have Westwood as a partner and look forward to seeing the operations in our community grow as the business does.
    
The Greater Colorado Springs Economic Development Corporation is a 501c-6 not-for-profit organization dedicated to bringing primary jobs to Colorado Springs residents. Fully funded by donations from the community, EDC has assisted in the creation of more than 90,000 jobs since its inception in 1971.
    
Founded in 1953, Westwood College is a cross-state system of privately owned colleges providing career education in design, computer networking, business and criminal justice. The system includes 15 Westwood College campuses, and three aviation campuses, in addition to Westwood Online.
    
For more information about: Westwood College Online, contact Patti Hazlett, STRATECOM, 720-406-7906; The Greater Colorado Springs Economic Development Corporation, John Cassiani, 719-471-8183.

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