In the heart of Prescott Valley, surrounded by schools, medical centers and homes, sits a world-class healthcare career training center and academic institution that is shedding obscurity to become a key component of individual and community success.

The Yavapai College Prescott Valley Center’s parking lot is full more often than not, the interior lights are on from early morning to late evening, the student service center is buzzing and a diverse group of students and visitors are navigating the complex’s spacious and modern labs, classrooms, meeting rooms and business development suites.

“The building is pretty much hopping all the time,” said Nancy Bowers, who as YC Director of Allied Health, is headquartered at the PV Center. “That’s because we are developing the workforce for current and future businesses.”

Bowers believes the vibrancy of the YC PV Center is attributable to the concentration in 2017 of the college’s Allied Health programs – those that support nursing, medicine and pharmacy -- under one, greatly expanded roof. Following completion of additional renovations last year, the college also moved its formerly Prescott-based economic and workforce development arms – the Small Business Development Center and the Regional Economic Development Center – and the Radiology Department to the PV Center.

The expanded center, at 3800 N. Glassford Hill Road, also boasts ample, upgraded classroom and lab spaces for academic courses, for healthcare career training for area high school students, and for GED and English-learning programs. Academic, career and financial aid advisors, testing personnel and YC part-time and full-time faculty are onsite daily.

All the changes add up to a growing student population. In fact, the PV Center’s “student contact” hours have increased 33 percent from the same time a year ago, Bower said. A student contact hour equals the number of class hours or credits students are taking.  “The Prescott Valley Center showed the most growth for our district,” she said.

Bowers expects the student population to keep rising as the demand for healthcare career training increases and as the college adds more education choices to the PV Center schedule. Community Education art classes are expected to launch this spring and available meeting and video-conferencing rooms are being rented to outside organizations, Bower said.

YC’s Allied Health programs – medical assistant, nursing assistant, phlebotomy, health information technology and caregiver – can lead to professional employment in two years or less.  

For additional information about YC’s healthcare career training certificate and degree programs, visit www.yc.edu/prescottvalley. For academic course offerings at the Prescott Valley Center and online, visit www.yc.edu/register. Learn more about the business and economic development programs YC administers out of the Prescott Valley Center by visiting www.yc.edu/REDC.