Not sure about answering that ad for a "customer service" job?<!—->.

Thursday, April 12, 2001

Not sure about answering that ad for a "customer service" job?

Then Collins Career Center and the county Workforce Development Resource Center has some help for you this month.

"We have put together a consortium of businesses, and they have told us the types of skills they want employees to come to them with, and we used that to develop a class," said Eva Christian at the center.

The course – Pre-Employment Training Program in Customer Service – came about following a grant from the Ohio Department of Development, Ms. Christian said.

About 12 businesses are involved, helping educators tailor the class curriculum to meet needs of the customer service job industry.

For example, those involved ranked a list of topics important for customer service employees to understand. The top three are positive self image, positive work ethic and positive communication skills.

In communication skills, participants will learn about the communications process, such as the importance of feedback, positive discussion and communication blocks, Ms. Christian said.

In addition, participants in the customer service training program get a helping hand in finding jobs afterward.

"The first group of people the businesses in the program will interview are people who come out of the class," Ms. Christian said. "They haven’t promised a job but they will interview them first."

Classes start April 25, and will be geld at the Collins Career Center building in Coal grove on Marion Pike (the old restaurant building.) Classes continue until May 9, from 10 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. every day.Cost for the training program is $50.

For registration or more information, contact Ms. Christian at the WDRC at 532-3140 ext. 236.