Prof Tech Profile #1: Business Management

The Go 2 College Free blog aims to discuss topics related workforce education, money for school, career development, and the community college experience.  In the coming weeks it will become a space to learn more about different career pathways at Green River Community College. 

Today we're going to kick off a series entitled "Prof Tech Profiles."  The series will consist of short posts which profile various professional technical - i.e. job training - programs here at the college.  Each post will talk about a specific training program using a Q and A format with a faculty member who teaches within that program. 

As a way to start this series, today's Prof Tech Profile is on the Business Management Program and features a brief Q and A with esteemed faculty member Jeff Perlot.

In your opinion, what type of person is a good fit for the Business Management Program at GRCC?

JEFF: We welcome everyone and are committed to helping every student be their best. If you have any interest in business or management or leadership or starting a small business, then the Business Management Program is a great place to start.

What jobs does a degree in Business Management prepare students for?

JEFF: The possibilities are endless because every industry needs business managers.  If you have experience in a particular industry, you might be able to pursue management positions in that industry when you complete the program. If you are new to an industry, you may have to start at the entry-level.

The key is that we prepare you to perform like a superstar in any job you take. That leads to increased responsibilities, faster promotions, and more money.  There's no shortcut, but we'll coach and teach you to be your best and climb your way to the top.  New companies are called "startups." But you as a person are the ultimate startup, so invest in yourself by getting educated, then dive in and grab the opportunities that are out there.

Our program is also perfect for anyone who dreams of starting their own business. We'll teach you a diverse set of skills to give yourself the best chance of success when starting and running your own company. We have many students in the program who are here because they want to start their own business. I have considerable experience consulting small business. I have owned small businesses in the past. And I'm working on launching a couple small businesses as we speak. America needs more successful small businesses - so jump in.

This last question has two parts: one, how can prospective students learn more about the Business Management Program at GRCC? and two, how can they learn more about the field in general?

JEFF: To learn more about the Business Management Program at GRCC, students can gather information by clicking here.  They can also contact me at jperlot@greenriver.edu. 

If students have interest in a particular industry or company, there's nothing better than doing an informational interview to learn more. In fact, that is actually an assignment in our Career Management class - but don't wait for that class to begin learning about potential business careers. Look for a friend of a friend who works in that industry or company, then simply ask them to Starbucks for a 15 minute informational conversation. You could also offer to ask them some questions via email, and they can respond by email. Either way, you just want to know what they look for in good candidates, how you could best prepare, how they got to where they are, and any other tips they'd give you to get ready. You'll be amaze what you learn.

FUNDING TIP!  All four Workforce Education funding streams - Worker Retraining, Opportunity Grant, WorkFirst, and BFET - support the Business Managment Program at GRCC.   

Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training

What is I-BEST?

The acronym stands for Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training, and it represents a ground-breaking approach to adult education. A program pioneered in Washington State, I-BEST integrates, or blends, basic skill instruction with vocational instruction. 

Why did I-BEST come about?

According to the State Board For Community & Technical Colleges, a new approach to adult education was needed in light of research that found only 13% of English as a Second Language (ESL) and less than 33% of adult basic education (ABE) students continued on to college-level study.  In addition, the influx of non-English speakers as well as the significant number of adults lacking a high school diploma or GED demanded a new paradigm for addressing adult literacy and vocational training.  

How does I-BEST work?

It's a simple formula: Basic Ed + Skills Training.  That is to say, students work on basic reading, writing, and math skills AND earn college-level credits that apply toward a vocational degree or certificate at the same time.  This is accomplished through a dual-instructor delivery method.  I-BEST classes are team-taught by an adult literacy instructor and a vocational instructor who co-develop and co-deliver instruction.  One helps with comprehension, the other specializes in content. This model contextualizes learning and increases the likelihood that students will complete certificates and continue on with their education.

Does I-BEST get results?

Yes! I-BEST improves retention and student success.  According to the SBCTC, I-BEST students are more likely to make point gains on basic skills tests.  They're also more likely to complete a  vocational certificate and persist into the second year of college-level study.     

Wondering if I-BEST is for you?

Almost 3,000 students throughout Washington's 34 community and technical colleges were served by the I-BEST Program in 2009!  And the numbers are only growing.  Need job skills training? Don't have a GED or High School Diploma? Need to improve your English reading and writing skills?  Then you might be a good fit for I-BEST.  To learn about available I-BEST career pathways at Green River Community College, contact Cynthia Gaede in the Language, Academic Skills and Wellness Office at 253-833-9111 ext. 2317.

Funding Tip!  All four Workforce Education funding streams - Worker Retraining, Opportunity Grant, BFET, and WorkFirst - support I-BEST at GRCC. 

De-Stress Yourself

Stress is a stubborn fact of life, especially if you're a college student.  Exams, papers, and pop quizzes come at us from all directions, testing our limits, testing our sanity.  And then there are the responsibilities we have outside of the classroom that already make life complicated - holding a job, paying the bills, getting the kids to school, tending relationships with family and friends.  On and on it goes.  What is more, many are coping with the realities of losing a job or living at the poverty level.  These are, after all, tough economic times.  Things compound pretty quickly.  It's easy to stress out.

      

While stress is a fact of life, and while people deal with stress in different ways, there are some common steps we can take to minimize its effect on our lives.  Are you stressed?  If so, here are 6 simple coping strategies courtesy of Managed Health Network, Inc.  The following strategies are straightfoward and common-sensical, but their simplicity and effectiveness can't be "stressed" enough.

1.  Lead a balanced life.

Easier said then done, right?  Leading a balanced life is the key to it all.  You're a college student and you have tons of responsibility outside of the classroom, but try to allow time for leisure, hobbies, or family activities.  Find time to clear your head.  Budget some fun into your schedule.

2.  Eat well and try to exercise. 

Another no-brainer but important nonetheless.  Drink more water.  Eat healthy.  Need help buying healthy foods? Apply for Basic Food Assistance at foodhelp.wa.gov.  Try to exercise too.  Don't worry - this doesn't mean you have to train for a marathon.  But look into using the fitness center or the weight room on campus at GRCC (it has open hours for all students and staff most weekdays).  If you can't make time for formal exercise, build more physical activity into your schedule by walking more and using stairs instead of elevators.  Take deep breaths frequently throughout your day.  If possible, don't resort to quick fix coping mechanisms like smoking or heavy drinking. 

3.  Manage your time. 

Make to-do lists and stick to them.  Set priorities.  Formulate small, attainable goals.  Give yourself something to aim at.  Take the big tasks and break them down into smaller bitesize tasks.  Don't cram, plan ahead.

4.  Keep a sense of humor.

It's been established scientifically that laughter is good for you and can even help you deal with stress.  It can be difficult to maintain a sense of humor in stressful situations.  Like balance, this is easier said then done.  But carve out opportunities for laughter maybe by watching a comedy or connecting with friends, whatever allows you to cut loose.

5.  Take a break.

Speaking of cutting loose, take a break.  Working on end without taking a break may seem like a short-term solution, but it isn't sustainable in the long-term and will inevitably lead to burn-out.  Take a day off or a time out. Walk around the block, go on a hike, take a power nap.  Whatever works.

6.  Recognize what you can and can't control.

We all know the familiar chant about accepting what you can't control, finding courage to change the things you can, and having wisdom to know the difference.  This piece of advice is along the same lines and sums up strategies 1 through 5.

Spring Quarter Funding

While we're only a week and a half into the Winter Quarter, Workforce Education has already set its sights on the upcoming Spring Quarter, which begins on March 28th, 2011.  Spring - it is a season of warmer temperatures and new life.  It is also a season of new opportunities, especially for students who would like to enroll in a training program and apply for Spring Quarter funding.

For those new to Green River Community College, let's briefly recap what we do.  Workforce Education administers four funding programs which help qualifying students pay for school.  Our funding programs include Worker Retraining, Opportunity Grant, Basic Food Employment & Training, and WorkFirst.  Most of our programs pay 100% of tuition and fees and some even provide money for books.  For the most part, we support students who want to earn a professional technical - i.e. job training - degree or certificate at the college, but in some cases we can assist students who want to earn a GED, High School Diploma, or who want to take Continuing Education classes that enhance employment. 

All four of our programs have available funding for new students looking to register for the Spring Quarter.

To apply, visit  go2collegefree.com on January 24th to take a brief eligibility survey and to sign up for a Go 2 College Free funding workshop.  If you don't have internet access at home, you can also call the Workforce Education front desk on this date at 253-833-9111 ext 2211 and a representative will administer the survey and sign you up for a funding workshop over the phone.  Claim your seat on January 24th! 

In the meantime, you can swing by our main office in SMT 229 if you have additional questions or even peruse this blog, which addresses a variety topics ranging from money for school to career development to the community college experience.

Washington State Scholarships

Workforce Education administers four funding programs which help qualifying students earn a job training degree or certificate.  These funding programs include Worker Retraining, Opportunity Grant, Basic Food Employment & Training, and WorkFirst. 

When students apply for our funding, we also help them identify and apply for additional pots of money as part of a larger strategy to leverage resources.  For example, when a student expresses interest in Worker Retraining, we also have that student apply for Federal Financial Aid.  Why?  Because a pot of money like Federal Financial Aid can typically provide more financial support than a local program like Worker Retraining can.  Moving a student onto Federal Financial Aid also allows Workforce Education to preserve its funding - in this example, Worker Retraining - for other students who, for some reason or another, do not qualify for Federal Financial Aid.  It's a win-win scenario for all parties involved.

In addition to Federal Financial Aid, we also encourage students to apply for Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funding, WAVE scholarships, the Quality Through Training Program (QTTP), Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), as well as Foundation Scholarships offered at Green River Community College.

In a nutshell, our philosophy in Workforce Education is simple - create options by applying for as many different funding programs as possible. 

A final source of funding we regularly encourage new students to look into is a free, web-based scholarship clearinghouse for Washington State scholarship seekers called TheWashBoard.org.  This scholarship clearinghouse adds new scholarships every week, and it allows users to create an online profile, then find scholarships within the system that "match" the information provided in that profile.

The site is secure and recently went through and intensive enhancement phase to improve accessibility and ease of use.  What's more, according to a recent Seattle Times article, there are scholarships at the site that go unclaimed for lack of applicants. If you haven't already, visit the site to set up a free online profile today!

HireWorks

There's a new addition to the Green River campus: HireWorks. 

HireWorks is the college's new Job Search Training & Resource Center.  The Center opened its doors on October 20th and is located in the LSC Building on the Auburn main campus.  It serves students and alumni who need help planning, preparing, and conducting a successful job search. 

The HireWorks Job Search Training & Resources Center can help with:

• Creating winning resumes and cover letters
• Developing effective interviewing skills
• Researching the labor market and potential employers
• Finding job and internship opportunities

While HireWorks is not a job placement service, it does aim to help clients plan, prepare, and conduct a successful job search.  In addition, the Center can provide assistance to people with disabilities and to those who face unique employment situations.

For more information, visit the HireWorks webpage.

Career Development Tips From Johnny Bunko

Daniel Pink's Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need is a slim graphic novel (i.e. print comic book) on career development.  As opposed to a more conventional textbook approach to the subject, Pink uses the vehicle of story to highlight a variety of useful career development lessons.  This results in a fun, easy, informative read. 


Pink's novel focuses on Johnny Bunko, a young college grad in a dead-end job who's hungry for more.  He hates his job, his boss, and his all-around station in life.  Discouraged and in a rut, Johnny happens upon a magical sushi shop, where he orders takeout and grabs a handful of chopsticks.  He learns that every time he snaps a pair of these chopsticks in half, a spritely genie named Diana appears (she fills the role of career counselor in the story). 

With each magical appearance, Diana shares an important career development lesson with Johnny, allthewhile leading Johnny, step by step, on the path to a more rewarding career and a happier life.  Those principles include the following, along with quotations from Diana, the novel's career counseling genie:

Lesson 1:  There is no plan.

"You can't sit there at age 21 - or even 31 or 41 or 51 - and map it all out. You might think that X will lead to Y, and Y will lead to Z, but it never works that way. It's nice to believe that you can map out every step ahead of time and end up where you want. But that's a fantasy. The world changes. Ten years from now, your job might be in India. Your industry might not even exist. And you'll change, too."

Lesson 2:  Think strengths, not weaknesses.

"The key to success is to steer around your weaknesses and focus on your strengths. Successful people don't try too hard to improve what they're bad at. They capitalize on what they're good at. What do you do consistently well? What gives you energy rather than drains it? What sorts of activities create flow for you?"

Lesson 3:  It's not about you.

"It's about your customer. It's about your client. Use your strengths, yes, but remember you're here to serve - not to self-actualize. The most successful people don't focus on improving their own lives but improving others' lives. They help their customer solve its problem. They give their client something it didn't know it was missing. That's where they focus their energy, talent, and brainpower. So pull your head out of your...ego."

Lesson 4:  Persistence trumps talent.

"There are massive returns to doggedness. The people who achieve the most are often the ones who stick with it when others don't. [Persistence] builds upon itself. A little bit improves performance, which encourages greater persistence, which improves performance even more. And on and on it goes."

Lesson 5:  Make excellent mistakes.

"Too many people spend their time avoiding mistakes. They're so concerned about being wrong, about messing up, that they never try anything - which means they never do anything. Their focus is avoiding failure. But that's actually a crummy way to achieve success. The most successful people make spectacular mistakes. Why? They're trying to do something big. But each time they make a mistake, they get a little better and move a little closer to excellence."

Lesson 6:  Leave an imprint.

"Think about your purpose, recognize that your life isn't infinite, and that you should use your limited time here to do something that matters. The other five lessons are crucial. But truly successful people deploy them in the service of something larger than themselves. They leave their companies, their communities, their families a little better than before."

Tutoring Resources

Now that the fall quarter is underway, you might be starting to feel the weight (and stress?) of attending class, doing homework, writing papers, and attending study groups. Maybe the work's piling up.  Maybe you're falling behind.  Maybe you need additional help to be successful.  If so, today's blog post is just for you.  Specifically, let's briefly talk about three different free tutoring resources available on the main campus at Green River Community College. 

1.  The Writing Center.  The Writing Center is located in RLC 173, and offers both one-on-one and online tutoring services for students at all stages in the writing process.  Check the Writing Center website for hours of operation and for a more detailed explanation of available services.

2.  The Math Learning Center.  The Math Learning Center is located in SMT 335, and offers help to those who are struggling with math.  In addition to tutoring services, students can also access a variety of free learning resources including math videos, computers, and textbooks.  Check the Math Learning Center website for hours of operation. 

3.  The Tutoring & Resouce Center.  The Tutoring & Resource Center is located on the second floor of Holman Library, and offers tutoring in all subjects except math.   Services are available by appointment or on a walk-in basis.  Check the Tutoring & Resource Center website for hours of operation.

Mind Your Study Habits

In a recent article entitled "Forget What You Know About Good Study Habits," Benedict Carey discusses good study habits.  Specifically, he outlines a handful of effective learning approaches that may improve how much a student learns from studying, and he also cites a variety of cognitive scientists to back up his claims. Some of the approaches outlined by Carey, interestingly enough, contradict conventional wisdom on the subject of retention. 

As a way to kick off the start of the fall quarter at Green River Community College, and in the interest of stimulating more productive study habits, this post will briefly address three of Carey's findings.  Also note, the three study habits discussed below can help anyone, from a fifth grader doing long division to a retiree learning a new language, at least according to Carey.  So let's get started.

Study Habit #1 - Instead of sticking to one study location, simply alternating the room or location where a person studies can improve retention.  This contradicts the conventional practice of finding a specific place - a study room or a quiet corner in the library, for example - and plopping down for hours on end to do school work.  The research on study habits, says Carey, shows that switching up the locale in which one studies can dramatically improve retention.  As Carey writes,

"The brain makes subtle associations between what it is studying and the background sensations it has at the time...regardless of whether those perceptions are conscious.  It colors the terms of the Versailles Treaty with the wasted fluorescent glow of the dorm study room, say; or the elements of the Marshall Plan with the jade-curtain shade of the willow tree in the backyard.  Forcing the brain to make multiple associations with the same material may, in effect, give that information more neural scaffolding."

Study Habit #2 - Spacing out the study of a specific skill or concept, as opposed to cramming / intense immersion, can also improve retention. The spacing approach to studying favors shorter, more frequent study sessions and goes against the common practice of cramming, say, Math, English, Anatomy, or whatever for 8 hours on a Tuesday and then ignoring the subject until next week.  As Carey observes,

"Cognitive scientists do not deny that honest-to-goodness cramming can lead to a better grade on a give exam. But hurriedly jam-packing the brain is akin to speed-packing a cheap suitcase, as most students quickly learn - it holds its new load for awhile, then most everything falls out....When the neural suitcase is packed carefully and gradually, it holds its contents for far far longer.  An hour of study tonight, an hour on the weekend, another session a week from now: such so-called spacing improves later recall, without requiring students to put in more overall study effort."

Study Habit #3 - Studying distinct but related skills or concepts in one sitting, rather than focusing intensely on a single thing, can also improve retention.  This habit, again, contradicts the common practice of studying one, and only one, subject for long stretches of time and then moving on to the next.  Interweaving different subjects allows the brain to pick up on a deeper patterns and leads to more nuanced understandings of a given subject.  As Carey observes,

"Varying the type of material studied in a single sitting - alternating, for example, among vocabulary, reading. and speaking a new language - seems to leave a deeper impression on the brain than does concentrating on just one skill at a time.  Musicians have known this for years, and their practice sessions often include a mix of scales, musical pieces, and rhythmic work. Many athletes, too, routinely mix their workouts with strength, speed, and skill drills."

In sum, change up the locale in which you study. Also, avoid cramming and space out your study of a given subject.  Finally, try interweaving and studying different but related subjects in one sitting. Cognitive science argues that these habits may lead to improved retention and increased academic success. Give them a test drive, see what happens, and make it a great fall quarter!

Make Career Development Pay

In turbulent economic times like these, attending a community or technical college to update a skill set or retrain for a new occupation is a logical course of action to pursue.  But the decision to go to school, according to a recent New York Times article by Tara Siegel Bernard, needs to be treated like any other investment decision. You need to weigh the potential returns and closely manage the costs.

When considering an "investment" in education and especially before enrolling in a training program, Bernard argues that you should ask the same sorts of questions that a portfolio manager might ask when analyzing a stock investment, including: 

• Am I earning a reputable credential, degree, or certificate?
• Is the cost of earning that credential feasable?
• How can I minimize my expenses?
• What is demand like in the field I'm retraining for?
• What are my earnings potential?

As Bernard goes on to observe in her article, the more radical the shift in careers you contemplate, the more research you should do in answering these questions.  This is an obvious but important point to make. She therefore proceeds to offer the following tips for those who are considering a change in careers.

Research Career Options.  Bernard recommends O*NET OnLine, which is a website maintained by the Department Of Labor and which allows users to research employment opportunities and salary information for different professions.  Washington State residents can also cross-reference O*NET findings with www.wilma/org/wdclists, which is a website that allows users to reseach employment and salary information on jobs across the state.

Seek Employer Aid. If you have a job, writes Bernard, ask your employer about available tuition-assistance programs.

Ask For Government Help.  Bernard correctly points out that people collecting Unemployment Insurance may be eligible to collect benefits while going to school and even to receive additional benefits after their regular unemployment claim has run out. This is true in Washington State.  The Employment Sercurities Department offers the Training Benefits Program to unemployed workers who are in need of retraining. For more information, check out our ealier blog post entitled "Let's Talk Training Benefits."

Apply For Grants.  A no-brainer.  Before you borrow money, cautions Bernard, search for grants and scholarships to help you pay for school ("grant" = gift aid = money you don't have to pay back).  For potential Green River students interested in job (re)training, significant funding streams may include Worker Retraining, Opportunity Grant, Basic Food Employment & Training, WorkFirst, Federal Financial Aid, GRCC Foundation Scholarships, Workforce Investment Act Funding, WAVE scholarships, as well as scholarships advertised on http://www.thewashboard.org/.  

Investigate Tax Breaks.  Bernard also highlights the fact that the Lifetime Learning Credit, which is geared for continuing education, can be used for an unlimited number of years and for a wide range of schooling.