Tag Archives: training

Poulsbo store hosts state’s first Walmart training academy

20060124-061050-pic-244474290_5739339_ver1-0_640_480-1The inaugural class of Walmart’s first training academy in Washington will don caps and gowns in Poulsbo next week.

The new training center at the Poulsbo Walmart Supercenter is among 200 the retail giant plans to open in the next year.

The academies are aimed at helping department managers and hourly supervisors gain retail skills and the knowledge needed to run their specific departments, according to a news release. Participants receive two weeks of hands-on training in classrooms and on the sales floor.

A ceremony for the Poulsbo academy graduates is scheduled for 8 a.m. Tuesday.

$97,000 awarded for youth job skills programs

431751_5554031_ver1.0_640_480The state awarded more than $97,000 to a local workforce development agency to create internships and training opportunities for young people, according to a news release.

The YouthWorks funding was awarded to the Olympic Workforce Development Area Consortium, which oversees WorkSource offices in Kitsap, Clallam and Jefferson Counties.

YouthWorks is a collaborative program between workforce councils, schools and other educational agencies to provide job search skills, career assessments and work experience jobs to high school dropouts and other youth re-engaging with school after dropping out.

Locally, the YouthWorks project will partner with Olympic Educational Services District, West Sound Technical Skills Center, Olympic College, West Sound STEM and Stand Up for Kids, an organization that reaches out to homeless youth to teach basic life skills.

“This YouthWorks investment opens wonderful opportunities for our youth to gain valuable work skills and experiences,” County Commissioner and Olympic Consortium Chair Charlotte Garrido said in the release. “It will enhance our local workforce and spur our economy.”

Tuesday event showcases entrepreneur training program

showcaseMore than 1,100 aspiring entrepreneurs have received training through Kitsap’s BE$T program in the past 14 years.

About 40 of the businesses that BE$T helped launch will be showcased during a Tuesday event at the Bremerton Elks Lodge. The showcase will also honor the most recent graduates from the program, which is now administered by Kitsap Community Resources. 

The BE$T (Business Education Support Training) program provides classes for people interested in starting their own businesses and ongoing support for established businesses. The “boot camps” cover a a wide range of topics including business plans, marketing, taxes, licensing and insurance.

Tuition assistance is available for low-income applicants.

“A lot of entrepreneurs are trying to start a businesses on a shoestring,” Program Manager Dayna Ebersole said.

showcase.2Last year 92 participants graduated from the eight-week training course, resulting in 32 business startups, according to the program’s website. Another 67 existing businesses received counseling and training.

The program got its start as Washington CASH. But the CASH organization lost its grant funding in 2012 and Kitsap Community Resources took on the local the training program locally.

KCR Executive Director Larry Eyer said BE$T complement’s the organization’s other services.

“We think it’s a great fit, because our mission is to help people become economically successful, and become self sufficient,” he said.

The BE$T showcase is scheduled for 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at 4131 Pine Road NE. Businesses that have benefitted from BE$T will showcase their goods and services. Guest speakers include Bremerton Mayor Patty Lent and state Sen. Christine Rolfes.

For more information on BE$T, call 360-473-2141 or visit the program’s website.

The event is part of Global Entrepreneurship Week. Kitsap Economic Development Alliance has a full listing of Kitsap GEW events. 

Courtesy photos

Fundraiser launched for West Sound CoderDojo

CodeDojo_17743908_ver1.0_640_480Last Saturday I sat in on the first meeting of West Sound CoderDojo.

The group was organized by West Sound Technology Association to offer computer programming classes to kids and their parents, as part of the global CoderDojo movement. 

The Saturday classes are free for participants and staffed by volunteers, but of course they cost money to host.

CoderDojo meetings require large gathering spaces with Wi-Fi connectivity, and the group tries to provide loaner laptops for kids who don’t have them.

West Sound CoderDojo just launched a GoFundMe campaign to help fund their courses. The group is hoping to raise $10,000. The campaign is posted here.

Olympic College debuts fashion marketing classes this fall

blog.ocStyle-minded students can receive a certificate in Fashion Marketing at Olympic College in Bremerton beginning this fall.

According to a news release, the program will provide students entry-level skills in the fashion industry, with courses addressing various market segments, visual merchandizing techniques, costume history and fashion styling.

“Many entry-level opportunities are available in Fashion Marketing, both in the Puget Sound Region and nationally,” said Stacy Patrick, clothing store owner and member of the newly-formed Fashion Marketing Advisory Committee. “This new OC certificate could provide just the boost a creative student needs.”

The lead instructor is Deborah de Beauchamp.

The first two five-credit classes available this fall are “Intro to Fashion” and “Visual Merchandising and Promotion.”

For information, go to olympic.edu/fashion, call (360) 475-7555, or email de Beauchamp at ddebeauchamp@olympic.edu.

Bainbridge Graduate Institute launches Pinchot university

Bainbridge Graduate Institute announced the creation of a new university called Pinchot on Thursday.

Pinchot will encompass several educational programs, including BGI, leadership school Organizational Systems Renewal, and professional development program Pinchot Edge. MBAs will be offered in sustainable business and sustainable systems, as well as a master’s in organizational leadership through OSR.

Pinchot will give students access to a broader range of disciplines, according to a news release. The university is positioning itself as an “incubator for students who hope to drive change from within major corporations and organizations, or become social entrepreneurs.”

“Graduates need the ability to do business in a way that brings about the changes they hope to see in the world,” said Gifford Pinchot III, who co-founded BGI and the new Pinchot university. “To do this they need a holistic combination of financial acumen, sales skills, marketing savvy, sustainable operations and leadership skills.”

Pinchot courses will combine online and in-person learning. Programs will be offered in Seattle and on Bainbridge Island.

Read the full Pinchot announcement here.