Southeastern Extended Studies offers advanced courses in career enrichment program
Contact: Tonya Lowentritt
1/11/11
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GETTING ADVANCED CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING – Participants in the advanced customer service career enrichment program, offered through Southeastern’s Division of Extended Studies as part of a U.S. Department of Labor grant, have a lively discussion. From left, front are Kay Schewe, information specialist with the East St. Tammany Chamber and Natalie Guess, vice president of sales with eMerge. From back, left are Michael Dohm, manager of the LDS Employment Resource Center and Sharon Dohm, administrative assistant with LDS Family Living Center.
HAMMOND –Southeastern Louisiana University’s Division of Extended Studies has added a new advanced customer service class as part of their career enrichment program.
Assistant Vice President of Extended Studies Joan Gunter said the career enhancement training is offered at no charge for qualified businesses in Livingston, St. Helena, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington parishes through a $190,000 U.S. Department of Labor grant to the division and the Southeast Louisiana Business Center.
“The Career Enrichment program was developed to address short-term training needs for employers, incumbent workers and new hires, as well as unemployed, potential workers,” Gunter said. “Individuals seeking to participate should contact the WIA (Workforce Investment Act) Center in their parish, which has agreed to mentor unemployed job-seekers.”
In its latest program, Extended Studies Project Manager Charlotte Collins said while participants can earn Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) from Southeastern, the university has also partnered with the Northshore Technical College and instructor Jo Ellen Carruth to offer the opportunity for each student to obtain the National Retail Federation Certificate upon completion of the course.
Collins said new classes are offered in partnership with Kiisa Corporation for training in the business and community realm. The training is conducted in an interactive format with numerous breakout and discussion sessions so participants can share their problems, experiences and solutions.
“We were asked by the East St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce for an advanced level of customer service training,” Collins explained. “As soon as the word spread about this class, other supervisors applied for themselves and to mentor employees.”
Following in the chamber’s footsteps were the Employment Resource Center of the Church of Latter Day Saints, as well as NMD Inc. and Team eMerge.
Mike Dohm with the Employment Resource Center explained the impact of the class on his organization.
“It’s not often you can participate in professional training that changes your customer service vision,” Dohm said. “This program did just that by helping our organization increase employee engagement, while simultaneously improving our level of customer satisfaction.”
Collins said scholarships for career enrichment courses are available at no charge to employers, employees, unemployed, or underemployed individuals seeking training in customer service, sales or safety and loss prevention, if they qualify. Individuals must be 17 or older, have a mentor recommend them for the training and follow up with the applicant to ensure they complete all training, and monitor their progression for a short period.
For more information or to register for a Career Enrichment Program, contact Collins at 1-800-256-2771, or through email at Charlotte.Collins@selu.edu.
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