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Educational Opportunity Centers: Technology Training for Today's Jobs By Tech News Contributing Writer This is an update of a profile piece titled Educational Opportunity Centers: Adult Workforce Preparation and Academic Development, which appeared in the July 2000 issue of Tech News. With the unemployment rate climbing steadily in New York City, low-income and unemployed workers need job training outreach more than ever. And gaining access to up-to-date technology and computer training – even for traditionally "non-tech" jobs – is increasingly important.
Why Technology? "We're all trying to bridge that digital divide," says Wendell Joyner, the Executive Director of the Bronx Educational Opportunity Center, one of 10 EOCs in the state of New York. The centers, which enroll about 16,000 students annually, offer courses that include general education development, college preparation, occupational and technical preparation, and adult basic education. Students are prepared for work or degree programs to become medical assistants, certified home health aides, sales associates, medical billing workers, and security guards, among other fields. Computer technology is a central focus of the curriculum. "We use technology in every type of class," says Joyner. The capability of the EOCs has been growing steadily. Students now have better access to the latest technology, thanks to the addition of the ATTAIN (Advanced Technology Training and Information Networking Project) computer labs which opened two years ago. "We'd always had an academic support center for GED students, but now each participant must attend lab twice a week as part of the program," says Joyner. Each lab has 24 stations, equipped with a Microsoft Office Suite, including Word and Excel. The EOCs train and employ students as Help Desk staff. The Brooklyn EOC has developed the largest technology program to date. A year ago, the center began offering the first two levels of a four-level training for the Certified Network Associate Credential program in Cisco Systems. The classes prepare students to become certified to run Cisco networks for employers. "This free training would normally cost $5,000-$6,000," says Dr. Lois Blades-Rosado, Executive Director of the Brooklyn EOC. (The third and fourth level of training must be completed outside of the center.) Responding to the Community Each EOC has its own special niche. Joyner explains that while technology has taken off in Brooklyn, the largest program in the Bronx center is Allied Health, since there are a number of allied health companies in the area. In Manhattan, a copy-machine servicing program is popular. "EOC students also have access to career counseling and job placement," says Blades-Rosado. In a class called Learning Access, students develop good study skills and learn valuable time management techniques. "The school thing's not easy if you're unemployed and concerned about your economic situation," she says. "We bring in Human Resources personnel to do workshops and teach students about office politics and money management. Gaining employment is a process." Capitalizing on Program Strengths Former students of the EOCs come back often to help current students network and even keep instructors in the know about what technology employers are using. For example, "our [former] students told us that in computerized bookkeeping they're using Quicken and not Peachtree," says Blades-Rosado. This information helped shape the direction of EOC training. Maintaining relationships with alumni helps current students access information and real tools they can rely on, even in the downturn. "One constant in our economy is that computer technology is not going away," says Blades-Rosado. Neither, it seems, will the EOCs. How to Contact the EOCs Bronx Educational Opportunity Center Bathgate Industrial Park Bronx, NY 10457 Mr. Wendell Joyner, Executive Director Phone: (718) 530-7000 http://brx.eoc.suny.edu Sponsoring Campus: Bronx Community College Brooklyn Educational Opportunity Center 111 Livingston Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 Dr. Lois Blades-Rosado, Executive Director Phone: (718) 246-2058 http://www.bkl.sunyeoc.org Sponsoring Campus: New York City College of Technology, CUNY Manhattan Educational Opportunity Center 163 West 125th Street, Room 1615 New York, NY 10027 Mrs. Laura Higgins, Director Phone: (212) 961-4320/21 http://nyc.eoc.suny.edu Sponsoring Campus: Borough of Manhattan Community College North Bronx Career & Counseling Outreach Center 3950 Laconia Avenue Bronx, NY 10466 Reginald Tyrone Marshall, Director Phone: (718) 547-1001 http://nbx.eoc.suny.edu Sponsoring Campus: SUNY University Center for Academic and Workforce Development Queens Educational Opportunity Center SUNY Gertz Plaza 92-31 Union Hall Street, Room 5221 Jamaica, NY 11432 Ms. Khayriyyah Abdul-Lateef, Director Phone: (718) 526-7485 http://qns.eoc.suny.edu Sponsoring Campus: York College
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Reader Survey Questions What topics of coverage do you find most useful in Tech News currently? Select all that apply. Training.... Per Scholas: Bridging the Technology Gap (July, 2005) Educational Opportunity Centers: Technology Training for Today's Jobs (June, 2003) Agency Profile: NPower NY (February, 2002) TECH-U-NET: Providing Technology Guidance to Nonprofits (November, 2000) Educational Opportunity Centers: Adult Workforce Preparation and Academic Development (July, 2000) Low Key, Low-Tech and Low-Budget Distance Learning and Training, Part II (December, 1999) Distance Learning and Training Can be Low-Key, Low-Tech, and Low-Budget (October, 1999) Staff Computer Training: Maximizing Return On Investment (February, 1999) FAQs and Beyond: Free Eduation and Training for Nonprofits, Part II (December, 1998) Fill Your Tech Jobs - Free - and Can We Train Your Displaced Worker Clients? (October, 1998) Learning the FAQs: Free Education and Training for Nonprofits (October, 1998) Other Articles of Interest.... Free Net and Web Resources for Your Organizations IT Professionals (July, 2000) Nonprofit Provides Access to Affordable Technology (May, 2000) Networking for the Small Nonprofit: The Asian American Federation of New York (December, 1999) Black Data Processing Associates Offers Training, Performs Community Service(October, 1999) Community Voice Mail Comes to New York (August, 1999) School-Based Technology Volunteer Program Helps the Disadvantaged. . . (August, 1999) BrookynX - A Guide to Getting Your Communities on the Net (October, 1998) |
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