Adults who need the skills to get a job or to get ahead in life should explore the lifelong learning options available in 2006 at Laredo Community College.
“The LCC Continuing Education Department is offering many exciting initiatives this year for the benefit of persons seeking access to quality career skills training or personal enrichment,” Steven Mon Dragon, director of continuing education, said.
“Most courses are short term, and available days, evenings, weekends or on the World Wide Web to better accommodate students,” he added.
This spring, LCC introduces a new certificate program for the hospitality industry specialist, one of the city’s fastest growing occupations with the growing surge of lodging facilities in the area.
The certificate program was designed with three streams of specialization, including food services, hospitality supervision and hotel administration.
The new training program focuses on hospitality management and leadership, quality control in hospitality, basic food preparation and menu planning, and hospitality human resources management, among other topics.
Education To Go (ed2go) is another initiative that the Continuing Education Department is offering to benefit students residing both near and far.
Ed2go is ideal for adults who don’t have the time to sit in a college classroom to advance their careers or learn new job skills.
Through the ed2go network, LCC provides a myriad of highly interactive courses that any adult can take entirely over the World Wide Web.
The courses are available to residents in Laredo, Zapata, Hebbronville, Encinal, El Cenizo and Rio Bravo on the web from a computer with Internet access.
“Students can take the online courses from the comfort of their home or office at times that are most convenient to them,” Mon Dragon added. “This is particularly ideal for adults in our neighboring communities who can save time and money from having to commute to the LCC campus.”
Among the 120 ed2go courses that LCC will offer this spring are online classes about computer applications, the Internet, languages, entertainment industry, personal enrichment, grant writing and nonprofit management, test prep, law and legal careers, and much more.
A new section of every ed2go course will be offered by LCC on Feb. 15 and March 15.
To enroll in an ed2go course, visit LCC’s Online Instruction Center at www.ed2go.com/laredo. Tuition to enroll in each course is $89. After submitting payment, the student will receive instructions to access the classroom.
Other exciting training endeavors are geared for adults seeking to start or enhance their businesses.
Among the offerings is a course on Personnel Management, which offers a comprehensive approach for businesses to improve their human resources department. The course will guide the participant to understand and prepare key aspects of human resources, including employee and labor relations, compensation and benefits, personnel development, health, safety and security, among other things.
The course Starting Your Own Business, will guide participants though critical decisions on opening a new business, financing issues and legal structures.
Also available is a training program in international trade and logistics. Courses focus on warehouse and distribution center management, effective English communication for the workplace with emphasis on freight, hazardous materials transport, international business: importing/exporting, customer service in logistics, introduction to tariff classification and much more.
Other courses available this spring at LCC include forklift operator certification training, food manager’s certification and re-certification, substitute teacher training, babysitting preparation, electrician re-certification, business communications, basic computer training, PowerPoint, Internet basics, advanced spreadsheets, QuickBooks, CPR and personal finance.
Adults seeking a creative, exciting outlet for personal enrichment also are encouraged to take advantage of the Continuing Education Department’s community interest programs, including Internet auction systems (eBay), sign language, cake baking and variety desserts, party time salad making and self-defense.
Some courses will be offered at the LCC South campus, including international trade and logistics, professional truck driving, professional passenger bus driver, introduction to healthcare administration, introduction to medical insurance and claims management, food manager’s certification and re-certification, hospitality industry training, substitute teacher training, security officer training, security firearm re-qualification, personal protection officer (personal bodyguard), computers, workplace safety, introduction to fishing and much more.
The Spring 2006 Continuing Education Class Schedule is available soon on the LCC web site at www.laredo.edu/ce. Students can register online or by fax, phone, mail or in person at the LCC Admissions/Registration Office.
For more information, call the LCC Continuing Education Department at 721-5374.
Continuing education at Laredo Community College goes beyond the standard class lectures with programs such as the forklift operator certification training, which offers hands-on learning on actual equipment used by the industry.
Creating a fancy treat, such as a caramel pecan torte, is easy to achieve after learning valuable cooking tips offered in a cake baking and variety desserts course at LCC. The popular continuing education class is scheduled to be offered again this spring.
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West End Washington St.
Laredo, TX 78040-4395
956- 721-5140
Fax 956-721-5443