HEARTLAND CAREER CENTER

What HEARTLAND CAREER CENTER does

Heartland Career Center is a public Career and Technical Education (CTE) cooperative school located in Wabash, Indiana, serving high school students from nine participating schools across five school districts in four Indiana counties covering approximately 1,600 square miles. Founded in 1965 under Indiana's Acts of 1936, the institution operates as an independent school corporation without taxation power and is governed by a Board of Managers with representation from member districts (MSD Wabash County, Wabash City, North Miami, Manchester, Peru). All eligible high school students may attend either morning or afternoon sessions at the main Wabash campus, accessing seventeen CTE pathways spanning trades (automotive, welding, construction, machining, diesel), healthcare (Certified Nursing Assistant preparation), information technology and cybersecurity, electronics and robotics, creative disciplines (multimedia, visual communications), culinary arts, and public service fields including criminal justice and early childhood education.

The curriculum is structured around classroom and laboratory instruction aligned to industry-recognized credentials, including Cisco Networking Academy, CompTIA, Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA), Adobe Certified Associate, ASE (Automotive Service Excellence), NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research), AWS (American Welding Society), NIMS, OSHA-10, ILEA, Indiana state cosmetology licensure, and Servsafe. Supporting technology infrastructure comprises Harmony School Management Software (Ed-Fi certified and Indiana Data Exchange certified) for student information, Google Classroom for learning management, RevTrak for online payments, Doculivery for document delivery, and a Django-based Internship Portal. Dual credit pathways operate through partnerships with Vincennes University, Ivy Tech Community College, and Manchester University, enabling students to earn both high school and college credits simultaneously, with reported savings of a minimum of $150 per credit hour.

Heartland is funded through inter-district agreements between participating school corporations and does not charge tuition to enrolled high school students; nominal fees apply only to optional certifications (e.g., $25 for OSHA-10) and program-specific supplies. Auxiliary income is generated through student-run services, including a cosmetology salon and a preschool program (the latter operating as a practical training site for the Early Childhood Education pathway). Reported student outcomes include a 95% graduation rate (approximately ten percentage points above national average), 82% of students reporting a clearer career path, 2,641 dual college credits earned yearly, 206 internships, and 205 industry certifications and licenses earned yearly (2018 data).

Name

HEARTLAND CAREER CENTER

Legal name

Heartland Career Center

Website

https://hcc.k12.in.us

Company type

Public

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Heartland Career Center is a public Career and Technical Education cooperative school in Wabash, Indiana, serving high school students from nine schools across five districts with seventeen CTE programs and dual credit partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Career and Technical Education

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Career & Technical Education (CTE) Centers & Programs (EDAJAAAJ)

Keywords

• Career technical education
• Vocational training programs
• Industry certification training
• Dual college credit
• High school CTE

Headquarters

HQ city

Wabash

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public School Funding: Heartland Career Center was formed pursuant to the Acts of 1936 and operates as an independent school corporation with no taxation power, funded through agreements between participating school corporations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Heartland Career Center is a cooperative Career and Technical Education (CTE) school providing tuition-free hands-on training in 16-17 technical pathways (automotive, welding, construction, healthcare, IT/cybersecurity, manufacturing, culinary, cosmetology, criminal justice, etc.) to high school students from nine schools across five school districts in northeastern Indiana. The center supplements instruction with dual college credits through Vincennes University, Ivy Tech Community College, and Manchester University partnerships, plus industry-recognized certifications and an internship portal.

Product overview

Heartland Career Center is a Career and Technical Education (CTE) cooperative school serving high school students from 9 participating schools across 5 school districts in 4 Indiana counties. The center offers a portfolio of 17 distinct career programs organized into two categories: CTE training programs covering trades (automotive, welding, construction, machining, diesel), healthcare (nursing assistant), technology (IT/networking, cybersecurity, electronics/robotics), creative (multimedia, visual communications), business (entrepreneurship), and public service (criminal justice, early childhood education); and student service offerings (cosmetology salon, preschool). Supporting infrastructure includes the Harmony student information system, Django-based Internship Portal, dual credit college partnerships, and certification preparation programs. The institution operates on a half-day session model with students attending either morning or afternoon sessions at the Wabash, Indiana campus.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Auto Collision Repair Technology Comprehensive training covering all phases of repair of damaged vehicle bodies and frames, including metal straightening, smoothing, concealment of imperfections, painting, and body component replacement, with preparation for ASE Collision Repair Certification.
• Criminal Justice Specialized classroom and practical experiences related to law enforcement and corrections, including investigative processes and forensic investigation at crime scenes, with preparation for ILEA Certification and Jail Officer Certification.
• Electronics & Robotics - Industrial Introduction to fundamental electronic concepts for entry into electronic and computer systems career pathways, with emphasis on advanced manufacturing and robotics technology, with preparation for Certified Production Technician and Advanced Manufacturing certifications.
• Precision Agriculture Specialist Two-year program preparing students for careers bridging agronomy, agriculture, machinery management, and data analytic sciences caused by high-speed sensor agricultural technology evolution, with preparation for Unmanned Part 107 Drone Certification and Applicator License.
• Welding Technology Classroom and laboratory experiences developing skills in oxy-fuel cutting, shielded metal arc welding, and gas metal arc welding with safety standards endorsed by the American Welding Society, with preparation for AWS SENSE Certification.
• Automotive Service Technology One-year course encompassing NATEF/ASE identified areas of Steering and Suspension, Braking Systems, manual transmissions, differentials, automatic transmissions, air conditioning, and engine repair, with preparation for ASE Service Certification and Valvoline Certification.
• Culinary Arts & Hospitality Introduction to Hospitality Industry, basic culinary skills, culinary math, food preparation, cost control, purchasing, and current marketing, with advanced management coursework and preparation for Servsafe, Industrial, and Pre PAC certifications.
• Health Science Extended lab experience providing opportunity to assume healthcare provider role and practice technical skills including 75 hours in healthcare clinical settings for Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) licensure preparation, with CPR/First Aid and HIPAA certification curriculum components.
• Precision Machining/Advanced Manufacturing Provides understanding of precision machining processes used in industry, manufacturing, maintenance, and repair with training on power saws, drill press, lathe, milling machine, grinders, and CNC machines, with preparation for Manufacturing NIMS Certification.
• Construction Trades Formation, installation, maintenance, and repair of buildings, homes, and other structures with instruction in reading technical drawings and OSHA-10 training requirements, with preparation for NCCER Construction Certification.
• Diesel Service Technology Training in four main areas: Hydraulics, electronics, diesel engine repair, and heavy truck preventive maintenance and repair with emphasis on problem solving and critical thinking, with preparation for ASE Diesel Certification.
• Information Technology/Networking/Cybersecurity Exploration of computer functionality, hardware and software components, maintenance and safety, with Cisco Networking Academy curriculum for cybersecurity and networking careers, with preparation for CompTIA Certification and Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) certifications.
• Entrepreneurship and New Ventures Senior internship program placing students in existing programs to demonstrate competency in job skills with minimum 15 hours per week work experience and related classroom instruction.
• Cosmetology Introduction to cosmetology emphasizing practical skills and theory in hairstyling, shampooing, chemical services, nail services, bacteriology, and sanitation with Indiana State Board Cosmetology Licensure preparation (1,500 hours of instruction required).
• Early Childhood Education Students work with preschool children creating lesson plans, conducting assessments, and obtaining certifications including CPR, Child Development Associate (CDA) portfolio, and IACCRR training certificates.
• Multimedia (Honeywell) Collaboration with Honeywell Foundation providing hands-on instruction in film, video, and audio production with software training in Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Audition, InDesign, and After Effects.
• Visual Communications Graphic design and layout incorporating visual art techniques for advertising, displays, promotional materials, and instructional manuals with Adobe Creative Cloud software focus (PhotoShop, InDesign, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, After Effects), with preparation for Adobe Certified Associate certifications.
• Dual Credit Program Enables students to enroll in college-level coursework and earn both high school and college credit through partnerships with Vincennes University, Ivy Tech Community College, and Manchester University, saving a minimum of $150 per credit hour for each dual credit earned.
• Certification Programs CTE programs preparing students for certifications such as Certified Nursing Assistant, Welder, ASE, OSHA, NCCER, CompTIA, Microsoft MTA, Adobe Certified Associate, AWS SENSE, and other industry-recognized credentials, with approximately 205 certifications/licenses earned yearly per 2018 data.
• Internship Portal Web-based portal developed using Django for managing student internships, allowing placement in internship settings to demonstrate competency in job skills, with 206 internships completed yearly per 2018 data.
• Preschool Services Preschool program for children ages 3-5 who are potty trained, running September through May on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:00 AM - 2:30 PM, operated by Early Childhood Education program students under instructor supervision.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% graduation rate for CTE students, approximately 10 percentage points higher than national average
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Vincennes UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeartland Early College Career Center partnership provides rigorous educational programming enabling students to earn a Core 40 Diploma while also earning college credits toward an Associate Degree from Vincennes University. The partnership increases student expectations, accelerates college and career readiness, and fosters completion through challenging college credit coursework.
• Ivy Tech Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDual credit partnership through Ivy Tech Community College enabling high school students to earn college credits through coursework at their home high schools, at Heartland Career Center, and through field experiences. Emily Pack serves as Dual Credit Advisor.
• Manchester UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeartland Early College Career Center partnership with Manchester University provides opportunities for students in the Early College program. Jacob Sweet serves as Assistant Director of Admissions.
• The Honeywell FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Media Arts Program is a collaboration between Heartland Career Center and The Honeywell Foundation to provide hands-on instruction in film, video, and audio production to high school students. The program meets on the Media Arts floor at the renovated Eagles Theatre and prepares students for careers in business and media-related industries.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Walker Career Center: MSD Warren Township's CTE center serving Indianapolis-area high-school students with multiple career programs and dual-credit pathways. Operates under the same Indiana area-career-center cooperative model as Heartland Career Center.
• J. Everett Light Career Center: MSD Pike Township's career center in Indianapolis offering CTE programs to multiple sending high schools. Closely comparable to Heartland as an Indiana public CTE cooperative serving high-school students from several partner districts.
• Elkhart Area Career Center: Northern Indiana CTE center serving multiple high schools in the Elkhart region with career and technical programs. Same cooperative-area-career-center model as Heartland.
• Area 31 Career Center: A multi-district Indiana CTE cooperative serving high-school students from Wayne and Perry Townships and Beech Grove. Same cooperative delivery model and similar program breadth to Heartland Career Center.
• Blue River Career Programs: Indiana cooperative CTE program serving Shelby and surrounding counties. Comparable multi-district cooperative structure delivering CTE programming to high-school students.
• Muncie Area Career Center: East-Central Indiana CTE cooperative serving multiple sending high schools with career and technical programs. Comparable regional cooperative structure and student population profile to Heartland.
• New Castle Career Center: East-Central Indiana CTE center operated by New Castle Community School Corporation serving high-school students from multiple districts with career and technical programs.

Emerging players

• Excel Center (Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana): Non-traditional adult high-school and CTE credentialing model operated by Goodwill Education Initiatives in Indiana. Targets a different age cohort but competes for the same CTE/credentialing funding and policy attention in Indiana.

Broad incumbents

• Ivy Tech Community College: Indiana's statewide community college system and a formal dual-credit partner of Heartland. Offers overlapping CTE credentialing at scale across Indiana, positioning it as both a partner and the dominant incumbent in postsecondary technical education in the state.
• Vincennes University: Indiana's oldest university and a formal Heartland Early College partner. Provides dual-credit pathways and statewide CTE/technical program offerings that overlap with Heartland's portfolio, particularly in applied and technical fields.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/heartland_ctr
• Facebookfacebook.com/heartlandcareerctr
• Instagraminstagram.com/heartland_career_center
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/heartland-career-center

Compliance21 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HEARTLAND CAREER CENTER