Workforce Solutions Group at St. Louis Community College

Workforce Development News – May 20, 2013

This week: Five Wrong Ideas About Our Jobless Crisis, Surprising Secrets of Truly Great Bosses, What Is Organizational Culture? And Why Should We Care?, Don’t Bring Problems To Your Manager - Bring Solutions, The Associate’s Degree Payoff: Community College Grads Can Get High-Paying Jobs, Ways to Repel Talented Job Candidates, Death by Interview: Revealing the Pain Caused by Excessive Interviews, How to Conduct the Perfect Job Interview, Reasons to Love Job Interviews, 2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest, Simple Ways to Get Considerably More Done. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Lean Transformations at Sonoco Hazelwood

The Workforce Solutions Group salutes Sonoco Plastics for their dedication to training and engaging their employees in their world class world class lean transformation.

Greening Healthcare: Creating Sustainable Supply Chains and Waste Streams

This course discusses the triple bottom line approach to greening supply chain, waste streams, and cafeterias and sheds light on challenges in greening supply chains, waste streams, and food in a variety of healthcare environments.

Leadership for Life – The Real Leaders

So why is it that your initiatives often take so long to implement or sometimes never get done at all? Why does your work team or organization seem to be bogged down in friction and inertia? Could it be that despite all the trappings of leadership, you don’t really have all that much power and influence?

Workforce Development News – May 13, 2013

This week: Be a Truly Memorable Boss, Build Trust in a Team, Components of a Great Corporate Culture, Things Every Customer Wants, to Repair Damaged Professional Relationships, Your Cover Letter Lost You The Job, Really Dumb Interview Gaffes, Classic Interview Flubs You Should Avoid, Is the Future of Learning Bite-Sized?, Things Really Successful People Do. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Pathway to Your Career

St. Louis Community College's latest promotional video, "Pathway to Your Career," focuses on many of the career and technical programs the college offers as pathways to success for the members of our community, and highlights our mission to expand minds and change lives.

Corporate College Announces Summer 2013 Class Schedule

St. Louis Community College's Corporate College announces its open enrollment class schedule for Summer 2013. To register for these classes, contact us at 314-984-7777.

As Long As The Job Gets Done, Does Employee Engagement Matter?

Those organizations that scored in the top half of employee engagement had double the success rates in their markets compared to those in the bottom half. And those organizations at the 99th percentile of employee engagement had four times the success rate.

Workforce Development News – May 6, 2013

This week: Ways Successful People Approach Their Work, How to Influence People with Your Ideas, Certifiably Employable, Costs Of Ignoring Employee Engagement, Ways to Be Productive When the Pressure is On, I’m the Boss! Why Should I Care If You Like Me?, Ways To Undermine Yourself As A Leader, Act Like a Leader Before You Are One, Reasons No One Wants You in Their Meetings, Bad Day? 8 Ways to Feel Better About Yourself. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Leadership for Life – Speak Up!

Great leaders know that for organizations, ideas, and products to be successful, people need to be talking about them. And who better to talk about stuff than those who are directly involved in leading those organizations, developing the ideas, and selling the products?

Workforce Development News – April 29, 2013

This week: Define Your Personal Core Values, The “Sandwich Approach” to Give Negative Feedback Undermines Your Feedback, Why Getting Comfortable With Discomfort Is Crucial To Success, An Uneven Recovery: A Rise in Wealth for the Wealthy-Declines for the Lower 93%, Meet the New Middle Class: Who They Are-What They Want-What They Fear, ABCs of Missouri Career Grades, Create Your Personal Brand, Start Planning for Summer Interns Now, A Truly Effective Leadership Style, How to Tell a Story with Data. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Pharmacy Technician Certification Training

St. Louis Community College is offering a new Pharmacy Technician Certificate Program in the upcoming summer 2013 semester. This short-term and fast-tracked allied health care training program consists of 165 contact hours where students will be in the classroom setting for 105 hours learning the fundamentals and particulars of being a pharmacy technician. This class prepares graduates for the PTCB and ExCPT certification exams. In addition to the certification preparation, students will have the opportunity to complete a 60 hour externship in a retail or hospital pharmacy setting.

May 20 Solar Photovoltaic Installation Fundamentals Course

The Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Installation Fundamentals Course is a veterans-priority program that is being funded through the State Energy Sector Partnership grant. The intention of this specialized training course is to introduce participants to the basics of Solar PV installation and prepare them for entry-level employment in this field. Call now at 314-513-4612 to see if you qualify for free tuition. Class starts May 20.

Thank You…And Tell Us More!

The Workforce Solutions Group team appreciates everyone that came to our recent open house at the Corporate College and most importantly values the feedback that you are currently sharing with us in our brief online survey.

Workforce Development News – April 22, 2013

This week: Questions Great Candidates Ask, Good Employees Make Mistakes – Great Leaders Allow Them To, What Job Candidates Really Want: Meaningful Work, Infographic: What You Need To Know Before Your Next Job Interview, How to Select Learning That Fits Your Business, Ways to Hook an Audience in 30 Seconds, How to Sound Confident (Even If You’re Not), Infographic: How Customer Service Impacts Your Brand’s Bottom Line, Ways to Make Customers Fall in Love with Your Business, Finding Your Place in the Competitive Jungle, Pitfalls on the Path to Success. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Continuing Education Summer 2013 Catalog

Our new summer catalog is now available and registration for summer begins May 6th! What classes are you thinking about taking this summer? For more information, or to register, call us at 314-984-7777.

The $8 Million Replacement for a $20 Dollar Fan

When the expertise of line workers is fully utilized the only losers are consulting organizations selling $8 million replacements for $20 dollar fans. Don’t feel sorry for them.

Workforce Development News – April 15, 2013

This week: Leadership Lessons I Wish I Learned In My 20’s, Things You Should Not Do Every Day, How to Write the Dreaded Self-Appraisal, Quick Tips for Starting Your New Employees Off Right, How to Build a Culture of Communication, Conversations Can Save Companies, Explaining Employment Gaps on Your Resume? Don’t do this, Actions of Great Managers. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Leadership for Life – What Do Employees Want?

Any day now, I expect to see another survey about “What Do Employees Want?” Here’s how they go: A group of managers are asked what their employees want. They complete a questionnaire and the results are tallied. At the same time, the actual employees are asked what they want. Questionaire, tally, results. The results are nearly always the same. And the managers mostly get it wrong.

Drinking Water Operator Accelerated Training Program Starts July 22, 2013

St. Louis Community College’s training for drinking water operators is an Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7 grant-funded program. Training will include classroom work, as well as on-site training at water utility facilities. Upon successful completion of the 10-day training, students are able to take certification exams provided by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources for water treatment (Level D) and water distribution (DS-1). Drinking water operator certification establishes a professional standard, and also provides the knowledge and understanding drinking water operators need to provide safe, adequate drinking water to the public.

Workforce Development News – April 8, 2013

This week: Convert a Great Idea Into a Reality, Things Really Amazing Bosses Do, High-impact Interview Questions for Top Candidates, Habits of People Who Build Extraordinary Relationships, Chart: Who Works (and Who Doesn’t Work) in America Today, Rules for Managing Creative People, Ways to Get a New Employee Off to the Perfect Start, Infographic: Anatomy of an Attractive Résumé, Don’t Let Your Strengths Become Your Weaknesses, Missouri Real Time Labor Market Summary, At Tax Time It’s Good To Be an American, Handwritten Notes Are a Rare Commodity - They’re Also More Important Than Ever. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

WorkKeys Works – Talent Development Cycle

How many times do we question our approach in regards to communicating to others what we do? Hopefully, if we want to keep our approach fresh, we should do this quite regularly. In Talent Development, we sometimes lose sight of the second word in the phrase. Development generally means looking at all aspects of something and determining if and how it can be improved. In Talent Development, we need to take a full 360-degree look at the process. My new Talent Development Cycle is a graphical way to demonstrate what we do and a way to start a conversation that establishes a company’s need(s).

A Wow! Event – ProductCamp St. Louis A Big Success

“Wow,” seemed to be a frequent comment heard at St. Louis Community College’s Corporate College on Saturday, March 23. The second annual ProductCamp St. Louis, which was hosted by the Workforce Solutions Group, was a huge success-from start to finish. ProductCamp is a global movement that provides a free, user-driven, collaborative unconference for product development, manufacturing and marketing professionals. You’ll want to put “attend ProductCamp” down as a must do for 2014. You will not be disappointed.

Workforce Development News – April 1, 2013

This week: Principles of Persuasion, Phrases That Can Solve Any Work Problem, Delicate Art of Giving Feedback, The Most Common Leadership Model - And Why It’s Broken, Keys to Customer Loyalty, Job Listings Should Be Like a Love Letter, Things Savvy Interviewers Are Looking For, Tips For Staying Calm During A Job Interview, Red Flags Employers See on Your Resume, Why Your Kid Can’t Get a Job, When Presenting Your Data Get to the Point Fast, Core Beliefs of Truly Horrible Bosses. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Leadership for Life – Communication for Life

If you’re going to be an effective leader, much less a great one, you need to be a great communicator. All the great strategies won’t mean a thing if you can’t communicate them effectively. So, here are some tips, not only on how to deliver your message, but to improve the chances of others acting on that message.

Workforce Development News – March 25, 2013

This week: Why Great Leaders Never Stop Training, Why Organizations Are So Afraid to Simplify, Interview Questions That Will Make Any Employer Want To Hire You, Easy Ways To Motivate - And Demotivate - Employees, Colleges Track Former Students to Boost Degrees, Ways To Jazz Up Your PowerPoint Presentations, How To Be Unforgettable, For a Career that Lasts - Build Real Relationships. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Successful Microsoft Certification Program at the MET Center

The Business Technology Training (BTT) Program at the MET Center has earned the distinguished recognition from Certiport for exemplary pass rates in the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Certification in Word, Excel, and Access. Although Microsoft does not release specific national pass rate data, BTT Program Manager, Karin Fowler recently learned from Certiport that the MET Center testing site significantly surpasses national pass rates, which are close to 65% - with the MET Center reporting a pass rate of over 80%.

Killark Lean Six Sigma Green Belts Sustain A Culture of Continuous Improvement

With over 75 Kaizen improvement events under their belt in 2012, Killark steadfastly believes that improvement is a journey and not a destination. From initial design to final shipping, employees are trained to look for ways to make their jobs more efficient and safer and to produce superior products with less cost. With partial funding provided by the Missouri Customized Training Program, and facilitated instruction provided by St. Louis Community College’s Workforce Solutions Group, twenty Killark employees are currently engaged in a rigorous Lean Six Sigma blended-learning program. The blended learning approach involves intensive online instruction supplemented with classroom training, simulations, and customized Killark projects to drive Six Sigma cost savings within Killark’s lean working environment. Candidates passing the final examination and demonstrating application of skills via their projects will be awarded Lean Six Sigma Green Belts in a mid-year ceremony.

Attend Our April 9 Open House At The Corporate College

Valuable interactions, information, solutions, spaces and a special drawing will all be part of the open house hosted by the Workforce Solutions Group at the Corporate College from 8 am to 6 pm on April 9th. Tour the Corporate College and see why it is the best choice for all your business events; network with our staff and other guests; and attend short presentations throughout the day on a variety of topics. One lucky guest will win a free one-day Corporate College room rental for their next business event. Hint-the key to getting an entry form for this drawing is shared in this blog.

Workforce Development News – March 18, 2013

This week: Promises You Should Make Every Day, Surprising Reasons Why America Lost Its Ability To Compete, Big Mistakes In Employee Reference Checking, Leadership Skills That Trump All Others, Magic Interview Question: Have You Failed in Your Career?, How Grammar Influences Your Income, Most Common Complaints About the Boss, 6-P’s of Resume Writing, Habits of Highly Successful Speakers, Most Contentious 4-Letter Words in the Office, Want Productive Employees? Treat Them Like Adults. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Leadership for Life – Resolving Conflict

One of the most important leadership skills is the ability to resolve conflict among individuals and groups within the organization. Preparing what you will ask, rather than what you will say, is the essence of effective conflict resolution.

Corporate College Meeting & Event Services Receives Compliments

Seeing makes true believers. So does “experiencing first hand.” Experience why our Corporate College offers the best in class for your next business event, and we know you will become true believers. And, something our competition wishes we would stop sharing with you-our all-inclusive pricing with no hidden extra fees-will keep you coming back as repeat “true believers” for a long time. Joe Ray from McDonald’s Corporation says it best “Corporate College is like having our own training facility!”

Making Lean Stick – Nobody Ever Asked Me…

How to create a work environment in which employees fully utilize their knowledge and creativity in the energetic pursuit of perfection.

Workforce Development News – March 11, 2013

This week: Be Happier at Work, Why Employers Aren’t Filling Their Open Jobs, Revealing Interview Questions, Mistakes You Should Never Make On LinkedIn, Why Mobile Learning Is The Future of Workplace Learning, Business Principles That Never Go Out of Style, Questions Every Brand Should Be Able To Answer, STLCC Biotechnology Program Gives Busby a New Beginning, Good Grammar Should Be Everyone’s Business, How Great Leaders Inspire Action, Let’s Save Great Ideas from the Ideas Industry. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

TSA Employees Earn Certificate of Achievement in Partnership With St. Louis Community College

The second group of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees, the majority uniform Transportation Security Officers (TSO), received a Certificate of Achievement in Homeland Security issued by the TSA Office of Training and Workforce Engagement, at a February 20 ceremony held in their honor. Along with their certificates, the group earned nine credit hours from St. Louis Community College (STLCC) for successfully completing the three required courses.

Boeing Pre-Employment Training Starts April 22, 2013

Enrolling now for classes starting April 22, 2013. 408 hour employer specific program of instruction in aircraft assembly techniques for Assembly Mechanics positions within Boeing.

Workforce Development News – March 4, 2013

This week: Things Really Amazing Employees Do, Break Your Addiction to Meetings, Community College Grads Out-Earn Bachelor’s Degree Holders, Top 10 Interview Questions, New Rules for Marketing, Invest in Your Customers More Than Your Brand, Ways to Be More Compelling, Best-Paying Jobs For Women In 2013, How Search Works. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Leadership for Life – Strategic Planning

Strategic planning is a vital undertaking for any organization. Most successful organizations have a comprehensive method of strategic planning that is revised periodically. A great leader needs to be heavily involved in the strategic planning process, and is responsible for seeing to it that every department develops its own strategic plan that is compatible with the overall organizational plan.

Yes, I’ll Take That Cranberry-Walnut Bagel!

The best customer experiences are described in one word: engagement. Really being engaged in the here and now. Really being focused on serving the customer. And really enjoying serving the customer. The challenge is clear: How can retail store employees be selected, trained, and, most importantly, coached so they are fully engaged in the process of serving customers in a way that drives sales and customer loyalty?

Workforce Development News – Feb. 25, 2013

This week: Successful Leaders Do 15 Things Automatically Every Day, Habits of Extraordinary Bosses, Write E-Mails That People Won’t Ignore, Things You Should Never Say At Work, Ways To Inspire Your Employees, Ways to Build Trust Fast, Ways to Be the Leader Everyone Wants to Work For, How to Give a Meaningful “Thank You.” Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Workforce Development News – Feb. 19, 2013

This week: Uber-Productive People, Why You Never Finish Your To-Do Lists, Embrace Work-Life Imbalance, Ways To Get Things Done When You’re Not The Boss, Give Killer Presentations, Before You Innovate - Ask the Right Questions, Your Innovation Problem Is Really a Leadership Problem, How To Size Images On Social Media: A Cheat Sheet, How to Build a LinkedIn Company Page, Your Job Ads Are Driving Away Talent. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Leadership for Life – Balance

The bottom line is that if you’re serious about diversifying your workforce and your leadership pipeline, using the same old tired recruiting methods won’t help. You need to recruit in places where the minorities congregate, and you need to be prepared to make a case for why they should be interested in working for you.

Free “Unconference” March 23, 2013: ProductCamp St. Louis

Attend the March 23, 2013 free ProductCamp St. Louis 2013 “Unconference.” ProductCamp St. Louis is a free, user-driven, collaborative “unconference” for anyone involved in product development, marketing, management and manufacturing.

Electronic Learning

Online learning is here to stay. Venture into the online waters not because everyone else is doing it, but because this delivery mode will enable your employees to best meet the goals of training.

Bridge to STEM-Life Science Program, Classes Begin March 18, 2013

Individuals looking for a new career path in the life sciences are invited to register for the Bridge to STEM-Life Science program, a one-semester, hands-on,16-week, career readiness program starting March 18, 2013.

Workforce Development News – Feb. 11, 2013

This week: Create a Positive Attitude, Saying You Can’t Find Talent Is Like Saying You Can’t Find Anything to Watch on TV, Don’t Let Strategy Become Planning, Hidden Qualities of Stellar Bosses, How Poor Leaders Become Good Leaders, Tips For Landing - And Acing - A Job Interview, Build a Winning Team Dynamic, Office 2013 Quick Start Guides, Office 2010 Cheat Sheets, Just Call Someone Already. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Attend the Information Technology Insights Seminar March 7, 2013

St. Louis Community College’s Workforce Solutions Group will sponsor an information technology industry insights seminar 8:30 a.m. to noon Thursday, March 7, at the STLCC Corporate College. Registration for the workshop is $49 and includes breakfast. To register, contact the STLCC Continuing Education department at 314-984-7777.

Business Technology Training (BTT), Class Starts April 15, 2013

The next Business Technology Training course starts April 15, 2013. This ten week program prepares students for administrative management positions in a variety of environments. Call the MET Center at 314-746-0800 for more information.

St. Louis Aerospace Institute Showcased at the Midwest Aviation Conference and Trade Show

St. Louis Aerospace Institute Instructors Robert Weaver and Paul Voorhees showcased the many programs, courses and events offered by the St. Louis Aerospace Institute at the January 26-27, 2013 Midwest Aviation Conference and Trade Show.

Workforce Development News – Feb. 4, 2013

This week: Shorter & Better Meetings, Ways to Bounce Back from Career Mistakes, Missteps and Misunderstandings, Be a More Gracious Leader, Ask The Experts: The Skills Gap, George Cappelli On The Skills Gap And The Secret Of Employment, Simple Things A Leader Can Do To Build A Phenomenal Team, Keys to Great Customer Relationships, Most Overused Words On Resumes, Best Paying Jobs for 2-Year and 4-Year Degrees, A Case for College. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Leadership for Life – Character

Great leaders are concerned about people first, tasks second. Great leaders know that they can accomplish almost nothing by themselves, but with the contributions of others can accomplish virtually anything they set their minds to. Great leaders also know how to inspire others to make those contributions and to reward the contributors accordingly. The character of a great leader is revealed through his/her interactions with people.

March 4 Solar Photovoltaic Installation Fundamentals Course

Workforce Development News – Jan. 28, 2013

This week: Be Happier at Work, Why You’re Not A Leader, Stop Focusing on Your Performance, Ways Outsourcing Can Ruin You, Don’t Think College Is Worth It? Ask People Who Haven’t Gone, Best-Paying College Majors – And Why Business Isn’t One Of Them, Is Your Business Guilty of These 6 Blogging Mistakes?, You Can’t Cost-Cut Your Way To Great Customer Service, How to Have a Year that Matters. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Boeing Pre-Employment Training

408 hour employer specific program of instruction in aircraft assembly techniques for Sheet Metal Assembler Riveter (SMAR) positions within Boeing.

Workforce Development News – Jan. 22, 2013

This week: Ace the 50 Most Common Interview Questions, Elements of Great Communication, 100 Best Jobs of 2013, Extreme Personal Productivity, Profile of an Online College Student, Content Ideas Readers Love, Things Better Than Money. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Corporate College Announces Spring 2013 Class Schedule

St. Louis Community College's Corporate College announces its open enrollment class schedule for Spring 2013. To register for these classes, contact us at 314-984-7777.

Leadership for Life – Bully!

Workplace bullying is behavior that harms, intimidates, offends, degrades or humiliates an employee, possibly in front of other employees, clients, or customers.

Workforce Development News – Jan. 14, 2013

This week: Take Back Your Life in Ten Steps, Things Extraordinary People Say Every Day, Ways You May Be Creating Your Own Job Stress, How to Allocate Your Time and Your Effort, Little Things You're Doing to Sabotage Your Success, Top 10 Strategic Talent Areas – Where Most Firms Do Nothing, Simple and Powerful Body Language Tips, Questions to Ask the Company That Wants to Provide Your Temps, Smartphones - Silly Users. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Attend the Insights Into Biotechnology Industry Seminar February 4, 2013

Join our discussion led by Kelly Gillespie, Executive Director of the Missouri Biotechnology Association as we explore the current environment of the biotech industry and its impact shaping the local economy.

Create a Culture of Learning at Your Company

Are you tasked with all things related to employee training and development at your company and don’t know where to begin? Here are 10 steps to help you stay reasonably sane while building a learning environment.

Workforce Development News – Jan. 7, 2013

This week: No-Nonsense Guide to Successful Business Networking, Acing the Only Three True Job Interview Questions, The Future of You, Certificates: A Fast Track to Careers, Why Community College Could Be Your Ticket To Financial Success, Missouri’s STEM Occupations and Education, Real College Crisis Isn’t High Costs - It’s Low Information, Words You Should Never Use in Sales or Marketing, We Created 1.8 Million Jobs in 2012: Where Did They Come From?, Reasons Your Hiring Process Repels Candidates, Reasons Winners Keep Winning - Aside from Skill. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Installation Fundamentals Course

Workforce Development News – Jan. 2, 2013

This week: Ways to Be Innovative, The Magic of Doing One Thing at a Time, Habits of Remarkably Likeable People, Reinventing You at STLCC, Secret To Breaking Bad Habits In The New Year, Get Ready for the New Workforce, Most Damaging Excuses People Make For Their Unhappiness, Reasons Why You Never Hear Back After Applying for a Job, Resolutions The Most Successful People Make And Then Keep, Daily Promises That Create Motivation. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Leadership for Life – Leadership Quotes

Here, in no particular order, are the best things about leadership ever said – and you can quote me on that.

Reinventing You at STLCC

For 50 years, St. Louis Community College has educated students, developed the workforce, built communities, and changed lives. In this video, students reveal how STLCC changed their lives.

Workforce Development News – Dec. 26, 2012

This week: Finding Meaning at Work - Even When Your Job Is Dull, The 6 People You Need in Your Corner, The One Thing Your Team Wants You to Stop Doing, The #1 Reason Leadership Development Fails, We Wait Too Long to Train Our Leaders, Reasons Leadership Falls Flat, 7 Valuable Associate Degrees, Tips for Job Seekers During The Holidays, Easy Things You Can Do Today That Will Noticeably Improve Your Life, Ways To Be Better At Your Job. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Corporate College Holiday Break

The Corporate College is closed for the holiday break from Saturday, December 22, 2012 through Tuesday, January 1, 2013. We will reopen on Wednesday morning, January 2, 2013.

Lean Thinking and Acting Sells Blueberries

In an earlier Lean segment of this blog, I discussed the impact that employee engagement has on the reactions you and I have when going shopping in retail stores. We know what employee engagement looks and sounds like and we certainly also know what employee disengagement looks and sounds like. You and I go back [...]

Legislators End Freshmen Tour with Visit to STLCC’s Corporate College

The 2012 freshmen tour ended with a visit to St. Louis Community College’s Corporate College, the college’s first facility solely dedicated to corporate education and professional development. Legislators had the opportunity to learn about the critical role that job training and economic development partnerships are playing in reviving the economy in St. Louis and across the state.

WorkKeys Works – Managing Talent Development

Our WorkKeys system is a powerful solution that includes both Foundational Skills and Soft Skills assessments, enabling assessment of the full potential of applicants and employees. The tools in this comprehensive system can be mixed and matched to meet diverse organizational needs. Examples of industries we have served include Aerospace, Automotive, Biotechnology, Chemical, Education, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Pharmaceutical, and Warehousing.

STLCC Offers Accelerated Healthcare Training Programs

If you’re looking for a career in the healthcare industry, St. Louis Community College is enrolling students for innovative, accelerated programs in medical therapeutics and health informatics/information technology. Eligible students pay no tuition for these programs. Classes are forming now for the spring 2013 semester. To complete an online application or to learn more about the program, visit www.stlcc.edu/MoHealthWINs. After Jan. 14, individuals also can visit the MoHealthWINs office in Room 210 in the D Tower on the Forest Park campus, 5600 Oakland Ave.

Workforce Development News – Dec. 17, 2012

This week: Skills That Will Get You Hired In 2013, It’s Time to Wage an All-Out War on Waste, Reasons Your Top Talent Will Leave You, Those Who Manage - Teach, Ways to Take Control of Your Career, U.S. Manufacturing, Presentation Mistakes Everyone Makes, Beliefs That Make You More Resilient, America’s Income Inequality Crisis, Ways Successful People Defeat Stress. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Leadership for Life – Getting Creative

One of the things great – and memorable – leaders do is inspire others to greatness. Sometimes that means taking a back seat and allowing others to get the credit, but that’s OK, since the measure of a leader’s effectiveness is how well the organization is doing as a whole, not necessarily who’s responsible for individual acts of “terrific-ness.”

Workforce Development News – Dec. 10, 2012

This week: Phrases That Build Bridges Between People, Simple Ways to Be a Better Boss, Best Gift An Employee Can Get, Powerful Words Employees Need to Hear, Top Jobs for 2013, Upside of Downtime, The End of Middle Class Growth, Adapt for an Aging Workforce, LinkedIn Endorsements, Engage Hiring Managers Using Social Media, Holiday Gifts That Don't Cost A Thing. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Shopping Really Doesn’t Have To Be Painful

You and I as customers know when “focus” and “engagement” are missing from employee behavior. Energetic, enthusiastic, happy, focused, and engaged retail employees drive sales. In today’s economy, especially, no company can afford profit-killing experiences happening over and over again to its customers. “Lean” management coupled with employee engagement resources can transform any workplace, including retail. Call me at 314-303-0612 to find out more.

Dassault Falcon 10 Jet Lands at St. Louis Aerospace Institute

West Star Aviation has donated a retired Dassault Falcon 10 to STLCC for use as a training aid at the St. Louis Aerospace Institute.

Workforce Development News – Dec. 3, 2012

This week: Traits of Extraordinary Bosses, Integrity is Forever, Things Leaders Should Learn to Say, How to Master a New Skill, Habits of Highly Effective Communicators, Deadly Sins of Public Speaking, Clean Up Your Online Presence, Things You Should Never Say At The Office, Fatigue Is Your Enemy. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Leadership for Life – Let Me Tell You Why

Great leaders tend to be transparent to their employees and customers. By this I mean that they communicate what they’re thinking and feeling, and reveal their chain of logic for making specific decisions that affect the organization. I’m referring to your feelings about what goes on in the organization.

Workforce Development News – Nov. 27, 2012

This week: Things A Boss Should Never Say To An Employee, Skills Don’t Pay the Bills, Ways Job Searching Has Changed, False Tradeoff in Redesigning Work, Why College Grads Are Heading Back...to Community College, Must-Have Job Skills in 2013, Things That Really Smart People Do, Ways to Botch Your Job Interview, Great Online Content, How Your Spending Habits Change With Age. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Workforce Development News – Nov. 19, 2012

This week: Lead With Your Heart-Not Just Your Head, Unusual Things Great Bosses Do, Leadership Practices to Stop Today, Three Million Open Jobs in U.S.-But Who’s Qualified?, Ways to Retain Employees Forever, Soft Skills Pushed as Part of College Readiness, Return Of Video To eLearning, Cure for Boring Presentation Body Language, Magic Questions That Create Success. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Drinking Water Operator Training

Leadership for Life – Are You a Hands-On Leader?

When questioned about their self-descriptions, some “hands-on” leaders explain that they are simply indicating that they lead by example – a good thing, no? Leading by example is a good thing, but it’s not the same as being “hands-on.” My workmate Lou Gerst pointed out to me the other day that leading by example means showing up, being honest, communicating clearly, solving appropriate problems, making hard decisions, being open to feedback, and a host of other behaviors that support the idea that business is personal.

Workforce Development News – Nov. 12, 2012

This week: Things Remarkably Successful People Do, Leadership Styles, Productivity Improvement Steering Wheel, Inspire Your Employees, How Employee Engagement Hits the Bottom Line, Key Habits of Super Networkers, Deadly Presentation Mistakes, College Completion Rates Continue to Climb, Community-College Degree Smooths the Path to a B.A., The Economic Challenge, Habits That Will Make You Happier. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Workforce Development News – Nov. 5, 2012

This week: Cheap Ways to Motivate Employees, Stop Micromanaging and Learn to Delegate, Signs Your Employees Love What They Do, Tips for Writing a Resume in an Online World, Easy Ways to Network in the Real World, Checklist to Dominate Your Personal Brand on Google, Real Reference Checks Require These 8 Steps, Structure Your Presentation Like a Story, Things Every Social Media Policy Must Have, More Education is the Trend for Future Jobs, Innovation is Everyone’s Job. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Attend the St. Louis IT Industry Seminar November 15, 2012

In the rapidly changing field of information technology, it takes insight and a deep understanding of the landscape to keep afloat. Examine the regional impact of information technology as we welcome Jim Brasunas, Executive Director of the Information Technology Entrepreneur Network, Laura Lester, Workforce Research Analyst for Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC), and [...]

Workforce Solutions Group Accepts 2012 NCWE Exemplary Program Award

Steve Long, Associate Vice Chancellor of Workforce Solutions and Shayna Howell, Client Development Manager accepted the 2012 Exemplary Program Award on behalf of the Workforce Solutions Group of St. Louis Community College from the National Council for Workforce Education (NCWE) at their October 21, 2012 Awards Luncheon.

Leadership for Life – R-E-S-P-E-C-T

If you want to be great leader, you need to follow the advice of Aretha Franklin and show some RESPECT to those whom you work with, and not simply demand it from them. If you want mutual respect to flourish, you need to give as well as get.

Workforce Development News – Oct. 29, 2012

This week: You Can’t Be a Great Leader Without Trust, Infallible Ways to Earn Respect, Do Your Presentation Slides Pass the Glance Test?, Reasons Your Employees Are Not That Into You, Why Start a Tech Company in St. Louis?, The Interview Mistake You Don’t Know You’re Making, Job Interview Blunders to Avoid at All Costs, Reasons People Fail, How to Let Your Purpose Find You. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Attend the St. Louis Biotechnology Industry Seminar November 5, 2012

The Biotechnology sector is one of the fastest growing knowledge-based sectors in St. Louis and is expected to play a key role in shaping the region’s rapidly changing economy. St. Louis is coming of age as a biotech center primarily in the plant and life sciences arena mainly because of its close proximity to two-thirds [...]

Workforce Development News – Oct. 22, 2012

This week: What Your Customers Wish You Knew About Them, Bosses: What Will You Do Differently Today?, Ways To Identify Bad Leaders, Facts About America's Incredible Manufacturing Industry, 10 Reasons to Stay in a Job for 10 Years, Colleges Offer Much For Little, The New Job Hunt, Closing the Great Skills Divide, Secrets to Create a Powerful LinkedIn Summary, Measuring What Matters, The Biggest Economic Story In The World. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Workforce Solutions Group Named a Top Workforce Development Provider by Training Industry Inc.

Criteria for selection included capability to deliver vocational training for those entering the workforce; commitment to the corporate training market; industry visibility, innovation and impact; number and strength of clients; and geographic reach.

Workforce Development News – Oct. 15, 2012

This week: Lean Manufacturing, MoManufacturingWINs Training Grant, Personality Traits Employers Hire Most, Questions to Consider Before Hiring, Companies Trade In Hunch-Based Hiring for Computer Modeling, Computers Aren't Ready to Take Over Hiring, How Online Job Searches Worsen the Job Crisis, Educational Attainment, Are Are You an Inspirational Leader?, Reasons Why Ideas Fail, Ways Leaders Make Emotional Connections. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Leadership for Life – Keep it Simple

Leaders generally have their eyes on the big picture. They have access to high-level information, as well as high-powered consultants, who can provide them with the global outlook on business, complete with PowerPoint slides. When it's time to communicate with their employees, leaders sometimes over-communicate, offering their big-picture perspective. Most of the time, this information goes over the heads of the employees, who mainly want to know, "How is this initiative going to affect me?"

U.S. Secretary of Labor Announces Manufacturing Training Grant at Visit to STLCC

The Missouri Manufacturing Workforce Innovation Networks (MoManufacturingWINs) initiative will offer innovative training to better prepare individuals for careers in modern manufacturing.

Use the Idea Board for Lean Manufacturing Success

Nothing is more crucial to the success of Lean manufacturing than employee engagement. This short video contains interviews of employees at Hydromat and Edge Technologies, RugDoctor, and GSI Diversified talking about the ways in which the Idea Board has served as a powerful driver of change.

Workforce Development News – Oct. 9, 2012

This week: Be Happier: 10 Things to Stop Doing Right Now, Ways to Earn Respect as a Leader, Ways To Make a Killer First Impression, Going to College: Not Just a Good Investment - but the Best Investment, Things You Wish Job Candidates Knew, Stand Out in Your Interview, Facebook Tips Every Social Media Manager Needs, Things To Say Before You Die. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

State of Manufacturing Is Focus of Upcoming STLCC Seminar

Jennifer McNelly, president of the Manufacturing Institute will be the keynote speaker at the Manufacturing Industry Insights Seminar that will be held 8:30 a.m.-noon Oct. 9 at St. Louis Community College’s Center for Workforce Innovation, 3344 Pershall Road.

Workforce Development News – Oct. 1, 2012

This week: Habits of Extraordinary Bosses, How to Respond to Negativity, Body Language Tics That Could Cost You The Interview – And The Job, Reasons People Resist Change, Understanding Fear of Process Improvement, Ways Boomers Are Beating Millennials At The Job Hunt, Workforce Skills Every Student Should Gain Before Leaving College, Get Customers to Read Emails: 7 Tricks, Social Doesn’t Drive Online Sales and Why That’s Fine, Timelapse Video: Purely Pacific Northwest. Our weekly collection of interesting, insightful, and innovative articles on workforce development, employment and training, business performance, higher education, and the economy.

Leadership for Life – The Perils of Groupthink

When people come together in teams, they have an opportunity to share the experience and skills that each person brings to the team, which usually leads to better decision making and more focused problem solving. But teams don't always come up with superior solutions. In fact, teams sometimes come up with disastrous decisions.

New Drinking Water Operator Accelerated Training Program

The first session of a new 10-day Drinking Water Operator Training course, designed to introduce students to the 24-hour,seven-days-a-week responsibilities of a water utility, will begin Nov. 1 at St. Louis Community College’s Florissant Valley campus. The course will consist of 10 class sessions 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays.