Washington College is offering a series of online seminars to the public to make young job seekers more competitive in a tough employment market. The Competitive Advantage initiative teaches a mix of technical abilities and leadership skills within four thematic “tracks,” most of which take three to six weeks to complete. The training is aimed primarily at recent graduates but is available to anyone who wants to stand out to prospective employers.
Participants can choose from 19 different modules within four tracks: Career Development; Becoming a Leader; Environmental Technologies and Technical Skills; and Geographic Information Systems. All modules include practical exercises such as budgeting, writing, or data analysis, in a mix of online meetings and self-paced work. A three-week module requires about 15 to 20 hours to complete, or five to seven hours a week.
Instructors are from Washington College’s departments of Academic Affairs, Career Services, and the Center for Environment & Society (CES). “The modules are designed and taught by staff and faculty who have experience not just in academia, but in the workplace,” said John Seidel, CES director and Lammot du Pont Copeland Associate Professor of Anthropology and Environmental Studies. “They have lived this material and know how important it is. We know what employers are looking for and what they value.”
Training sessions are now underway. Fees are $250 per module for three- or four-week sessions, and $300 per module for six-week sessions. Participants taking five or more modules get a 20 percent discount, and Washington College 2020 graduates are eligible for an additional discounted rate.
“We think the bite-size and low-cost modules will make the program easier to complete, while offering a credential to show employers that graduates are savvy, well trained, and committed,” Seidel said. “That combination is hard to find.”
For more information or to register, visit www.washcoll.edu/
From John Seidel:
“Washington College already does a remarkable job of providing what are graduate-level experiences to its undergrads. That comparative advantage is borne out by recent national surveys showing that entry-level salaries for our graduates in, for example, the environment, are among the nation’s highest. This program builds on that advantage by teaching skills that are critical, but too often ignored – how to communicate, how to read a financial statement, prepare a budget, write a contract or grant proposal, and why understanding leadership is essential, no matter what your role in an organization.”
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