Kenai Peninsula College creates opportunities for Alaskans through education. Through innovation and putting students first, KPC is advancing solutions for our state, communities and industries.

For over 60 years, KPC has created career pathways and served as a trusted community partner. What began as a dream to bring high-quality, affordable education to the Kenai Peninsula has grown to become Alaska’s largest community campus. It is a story of how KPC grew together with the communities it serves. Our commitment to academic excellence and workforce development aligns KPC with meeting the needs of Alaskans and our economy.

KPC is home to high-powered educational programs that make a difference in the lives of Alaskans. Our Process Technology program is nationally recognized and trains hundreds of students for high-demand careers in resource industries such as oil and gas. KPC grows Alaska’s health workforce by providing nursing education across the Kenai Peninsula. Our Paramedicine program trains first responders throughout the state to save lives in emergencies. We are committed to creating educational opportunities that are accessible when and where Alaskans need them.

As part of the University of Alaska Anchorage, KPC empowers Alaskans by meeting them where they are in their professional journey. UAA is a “dual-mission” university. We blend traditional four-year and graduate degree programs with career and technical education. It’s an all-of-the-above approach that benefits our students and our state.

If you live and work on the peninsula, whether you want to pursue career and technical education or a bachelor’s or master’s degree, you can do that through KPC. Our students have access to more than 100 degree programs in collaboration with UAA. Students can pursue a four-year degree directly, or bridge to a new career through certificate or associate degree programs. These credits and certificates stack together cumulatively, allowing students to build expertise and credentials on a schedule that fits their lives, budgets and personal aspirations.

What begins at KPC can take students anywhere, and we see these opportunities every day, from an entry-level employee in Alaska’s energy industry who wants to further their career through advanced education. KPC guides this student to the right program along with a plan to balance work and education. That student can bank on those same credits to earn an advanced degree. Students starting their journey working as welders or bookkeepers can use their credits as a foundation for future credentials or degrees.

This dual-mission approach enriches our students’ educational experience and ensures we meet Alaska’s workforce needs. Alaskan students increasingly recognize the value of this approach. KPC’s enrollment has grown more than 61% in the past three years, including a 57% increase in student credit hours. By growing KPC, we are growing our state and community.

KPC’s legacy is written through the lives and work of the people we serve. Our mission is student success achieved through the support of our communities, alumni and our faculty and staff. We put students first and believe education is an investment in people. At a time when our state needs solutions, Kenai Peninsula College is focused on delivering education that will benefit our students and our state for generations.

Sean Parnell is chancellor of the University of Alaska Anchorage and served as governor of Alaska from 2009-2014.