Show Co op Continuing Education Skills Center Offer Something for Everyone Marilyn G. G Sanders Staff Writer AMONG the many academic programs available to students are cooperative education con continuing education and rout the skills cent center center r. r Each has its own unique purpose at the school and each helps students set individual individual individual in in- educational goals The skills center opened its doors in 1970 The pro program has open enrollment enrollment enrollment en en- and averages about students students students stu stu- stu- stu dents at a time Last school year the skills center served 2873 students according to Skills Center Budget Manager Linda Fife The program starts with an individual individual individual indi indi- vidual assessment to help students find what their abilities are and then the students are placed in a program best suited for them The programs take from about seven weeks to 10 months to complete Fife said the emphasis is on vocational vocational vocational voca voca- training and focused on s stu students students stu- stu dents who want technical training to tomake make them j job worthy The goal of the skills center is isto isto to provide training for individuals who want or need term short in intensive intensive intensive in- in training to get them out into the job market Fife said Fife added that basic skills like up brush-up courses on math and reading are available to the students students stu stu- stu dents and upon completion of the program and courses are taught on how to pr prepare parc a resume and interviewing skills There is a Job Servi Service c n representative presenta- presenta tive site on-site on campus to help students students students stu stu- stu- stu dents with job placement and a board with job postings and an area with telephones to set up in interviews interviews inter inter- er- er views and up follow-up calls Cooperative education also is a apart apart apart part of the program available to students The program is set up to help students earn college credit for working in their field of study Cooperative education is the colleges way of allowing students to earn academic credit for real world worldon on the job learning that takes place with a real employer that relates directly to their major said Cooperative Education Education Education tion Specialist Doug Thorn Thom Thorn Thom feels that op co-op off offers rs flexibility not available in many other programs the student an advantage in the job market op Co is a way to get experience experience ence in the students major prior to graduating It eliminates the problem problem lem of coming right out of school with a degree and no experience It also helps the student define what it is is' that they want to do Thorn Thom said The program is available to any student working in a job re related related related re- re to their major field of study or any student who wants to A representative from Job Service is site on-site to help with placement Students who wish to JO register in the cooperative education program program program pro pro- gram must have signed approval by the cooperative education de de- de- de The School of Continuing and Community Education offers many programs as a response to the demand for continuing education in business industry and the Our main function is to initiate initiate initiate ate new programs and courses contracting with business and in industry industry industry in- in to meet the needs of students and the community said Dean of Continuing and Community Education Geoffery Brugger Continuing education offers specialized courses to provide business and industry with special special special cial training needs In addition to existing programs programs programs pro pro- grams new programs ar are in introduced introduced introduced in- in each year The Paralegal Paralegal Paralegal Para Para- legal and Dental Technician programs are new this year The Advanced Technology Cen Center ter Center for International International S Studies workshops seminars and conferences s student student student stu stu- dent placement and cooperative cooperative cooperative tive education Training and Development Center division of community education and program innovation are all a apart apart apart part of this department Some of the programs offered offered offered of of- include the ESL English English English En En- glish as a second language program which helps teach english to stud students whose primary primary primary mary language is something other than English Also part of th the program is the study abroad program the Kids on Campus program and faculty and staff development I |