Job seekers will have several opportunities this fall to brush up on critical employment skills and learn about emerging job fields with a series of classes offered at the Goodwill Career Connections Center in Lexington.
Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina partners with The College of Davidson and Davie Counties to offer classes on computer skills, catering, health care and more. Some of the classes are free to those who qualify. Classes take place at Goodwill’s Career Connections Center, located at 719 West Center Street in Lexington. For more information and to register, call 336-236-8021.
The schedule of classes includes:
Pathways: Catering 101
This course provides the framework for employment in a catering facility. The course will focus on numerical planning, decorative planning, customer service/ soft skills and overall work ethic. This course will also offer time management as well as provide an overall guide to the steps to run a successful event. Students will work both on- and off-site at a catering business for on-the-job training.
Wednesdays & Thursdays, Aug. 17-Oct. 20, 6-8 p.m.
PHCAST (Direct care Work)
Description Phase 1: The curriculum assesses the interests, attitudes, aptitudes and readiness related to Direct Care Work and the PHCAST initiative, employment and educational goals. Instruction includes the following topics: career exploration, self-assessment, general soft skills (including communication, professionalism, teamwork, time and stress management), and layperson CPR.
Description Phase 2: The curriculum is based on personal home care aid training and includes entry-level skills development such as terminology and basic concepts, development of skills required for home aid care workers, and pathways and career options available at this phase and further opportunities.
Phase 1: Mondays & Wednesdays, Aug. 22-Sept. 19, 6:30-8:30 p.m. (No class Sept. 5 – Labor Day)
Phase 2: Mondays & Wednesdays, Sept. 26-Dec. 15, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Electricians Training (Paid course, scholarships available)
This course covers the principles of electrical wiring for commercial/residential applications. Emphasis is on Ohm’s law, alternating and direct currents, series circuits, parallel circuits and series parallel circuits, use of electrical tools and equipment, wiring materials and many other special subjects. Preventive maintenance and troubleshooting and National Electric Code will be covered as well. Students will get hands-on training to demonstrate the knowledge they have gained from the course.
Mondays & Wednesdays, Aug. 22-Dec. 14, 5:30-8:30 p.m. (No class Sept. 5 – Labor Day)
Plus 50 Tech Awareness
The course focuses on digital media as it relates to job searching and networking strategies. Students will learn how to stay connected on-the-go with devices such as iPad, tablets and smart phones, and how to utilize these resources in their job search.
Wednesdays & Fridays, Aug. 24-Sept. 2, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Wednesdays & Fridays, Nov. 30-Dec. 9, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Workplace Computer Skills
This course prepares students for the technological demands of the current workplace. Students will learn how to create resumes, apply for jobs and function successfully in a working environment where computers and other similar technologies are in use. Course work includes keyboarding, word-processing, internet awareness, job search strategies and more. No previous computer knowledge is required.
Tuesdays & Thursdays, Aug. 30-Nov. 1, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Medical Office Secretary (Paid course, scholarships available)
This course provides the student with the skill and knowledge needed for an entry-level position as an administrative assistant. Topics include general procedures, legal and ethical aspects of the job, and computer software in the medical office. The student will also discover the value of good communication and problem-solving skills in the workplace. In the last week of the course, all students will prepare for and take the WorkKeys assessments in Reading for Information, Locating Information, and Applied Math, which would give successful students a Career Readiness Certificate.
Monday-Thursday, Sept. 26-Dec. 15, 6-9 p.m. (No class Nov. 24 – Thanksgiving Day)
Pathways to Office Administration
The curriculum framework is based on the position of Office Administrative Specialist and includes the following topics: career exploration, entry level skills development and soft skills.
Mondays & Wednesdays, Oct. 10-Dec. 12, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Customer Service Defined
An intensive learning experience designed to prepare students for working in a variety of customer service settings. This course will focus on customer service understanding and skills as well as effective use of communication, and time- and conflict-management techniques to handle even the most challenging customer service opportunities.
Mondays & Wednesdays, Oct. 10-Dec. 14, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Notary Public Education (Paid course)
This course provides instruction to individuals who want to become commissioned as a Notary Public. Topics include legal, ethical and procedural requirements of the Notary Act. Upon completion of this course with a passing exam grade of at least 80 percent, a person is eligible to apply with the NC Secretary of State. Participants must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or equivalent.
Mondays & Wednesdays, Oct. 24 & 26, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Mondays & Wednesdays, Dec. 19 & 21, 6:30-9:30 p.m.