Articles - Summer 2011 - return to index
"People can take skill-development classes for free." |
Faculty Spotlight: Jim Stroop
Workforce instructor wants to share a well-kept secret
By Chris Cunningham
A series of basic job-training classes at
WorkSource Lane on campus is free, but so lowprofile
it’s like "a well-kept secret," says instructor
Jim Stroop.
The center, located on the Lane Community
College main campus in Building 19, helps
job seekers learn the skills they need to find
employment and position themselves for a
competitive job market.
Jim's classes prepare them to take tests for the National Career Readiness Certificate. The NCRC verifies that a job seeker has passed examinations pertaining to basic workplace skills.
To prepare his students for the exams, Jim's 11-week math curriculum includes drills on decimals,
fractions and percentages-precisely relevant to
workplace number-crunching.
Similarly, in his class called "Locating Information," participants learn to decipher workplace graphics, from charts and tables to floor plans and maps.
Although many students like the traditional
classroom experience, Jim says others prefer to
use WorkSource Lane’s online courseware to
prepare for the NCRC.
People may not realize that "anyone looking for a job can come out to Lane and take skill development classes at no cost," says Jim, who set up Lane’s testing center for the NCRC exams. NCRC testing is also free.
For more information: Call (541) 463-5223 or go online at www.lanecc.edu/wdd/