There was a large and growing demand for highly skilled bookkeepers and accountants during the 1920s and 1930s. To meet this demand many career colleges offered programs in these fields. Central Business College (now Indiana Business College) described bookkeeping as the most important subject offered. Part of the course involved sending students into an actual business to practice their new skills.
Source: Indiana Business College
Penmanship was another of Indiana Business College's strengths. President Ora Butz and Vice President Fred Case, both strong proponents of the Palmer Method of Penmanship, reasoned that even with a good working knowledge of English, graduates would be ill-suited for the world of work if they couldn't legibly communicate the knowledge with pen and paper. Many career colleges incorporated penmanship into their curricula.
Source: Indiana Business College