WATERLOO - Three preliminary new job training agreements were approved Tuesday by Hawkeye Community College's Board of Trustees.

Businesses included Process Tank Sales & Service of Cedar Falls, kSoft Corp. of Independence and Community Electric of Waterloo. The number of jobs each business will create and pay ranges will not be set until the agreements are finalized.

Bette Ruzek, program manager for HCC's Center for Business and Industry, said the final agreements are expected to come before the board in March. The board then would approve selling bonds in April to cover training costs for the companies' new employees. Bonds are repaid with a portion of the new employees' income tax withholdings.

KSoft develops Windows-based software products for several industries, including payday loan companies, hotels, auto dealerships and other businesses. Process Tank Sales provides stainless steel products to the food, dairy and chemical industries. Community Electric focuses on residential construction, commercial office systems, high-voltage work and hospital systems.

The board also approved resuming a new job training agreement with the Health Quality Association on Accreditation and JSA. They are joining to acquire and rehab a downtown Waterloo building to meet the expanding staffing needs of HQAA, an accrediting organization for the home medical equipment industry. The training agreement was previously held by HQAA and VGM Group.

In addition, the board approved amending a new jobs training agreement with Standard Distribution of Cedar Falls to show its base employment level as 96.

Contact Andrew Wind at (319) 291-1507 or andrew.wind@wcfcourier.com.