Jeff Sandstoe / Roundup
Michael Flowers, assistant director of the Bridge to Success program at Pierce College, smiles as he tells a story of a lady who had been working ever since 1972 and then lost her job unexpectedly. She didn’t know what a resume was. She has never used a computer before. She was in her 60s.
The smile doesn’t leave his face. This isn’t a sad story. It’s one of the success stories of the Career Advancement Academy (CAA). The lady went on to learn how to write a resume and use a computer.
The CAA provides its students with job readiness training through workshops and one-on-one evaluations and is a part of the Bridge to Success (BTS) program, a program which helps students get their high school diplomas and jobs.
Free workshops take place at the beginning of each semester and last a duration of three weeks, three hours each day.
During these workshops, students will learn basic career skills such as writing resumes and cover letters, budgeting and job searching.
Students receive a certificate upon completion of the workshop which lists the skills they have mastered. Flowers said they can later add this certificate to their own resumes.
After taking the workshop, the CAA will pay for one certificate for students interested in the fields of Automotive Service Technology, Child Development or Computer Applications and Office Technology.
“We try to do whatever we can do to help students,” said Flowers, noting the program will pay for both the cost of tuition and textbooks.
This certification is ideal for vocational students who want to focus on classes relating to their chosen profession. Tom Rosdahl, department chair of Automotive Service Technology, says many job opportunities can open up for students after they earn a certificate.
“Anything free is good,” Rosdahl said regarding the CAA’s certificate program.
He said automotive technician jobs have remained relatively stable throughout tough economic times.
The program is open to all students and even to the public. Anyone from the age of 17 and higher can attend.
The BTS office is located in the Applied Technologies building in Room 3800. The next CAA workshop will take place in January.
