LOCK HAVEN – As part of its ongoing commitment to serving the community, Lock Haven University is seeking community input to help in the development of continuing education courses at both the Lock Haven and Clearfield campuses. A short online survey will enable community members to express their needs and interests.
The LHU Office of Workforce Development is planning to offer courses in a variety of areas. Shannon K. Tyson, workforce development manager, said: “We are hoping to provide a full menu of continuing education opportunities for youth and adults.
“Some courses will be specifically tailored to the needs of senior citizens. There will be opportunities for professional development, as well as personal growth and enrichment.”
University President Michael Fiorentino Jr. is a strong supporter of the continuing education initiative.
“We, at LHU, want to strengthen our partnership with the community. One way we can give back to the community is by providing interesting, enjoyable, practical and enriching courses. We are committed to meeting the educational needs of the area,” he said.
As of now, the Office of Workforce Development is considering courses in seven categories: general interest, youth, workforce development, personal finance, computers, health and wellness and day trips. Courses might range from one day to several days.
“Input from the community will enable us to offer the courses that people are most interested in,” said Tyson. “We also want to make sure that we are offering courses on days and at times that are most convenient for participants.”
Community members are invited to participate in an online survey. “The survey takes only a few minutes,” said Tyson, “but the information we receive will help us to better serve the needs and interests of the community.”
The survey is on the Lock Haven University web site: www.Lhup.edu A “hot button” on the web page links directly to the survey.
In addition, the survey will enable community members to propose courses that they would like to teach. “There is such a wealth of experience and knowledge in our community,” said Tyson.
“Our community is a rich resource of expertise that we would like to tap into. We hope to receive lots of course suggestions from prospective instructors who want to partner with us in offering interesting, useful courses.”
Area employers are especially urged to participate in the survey. “We want to offer the kinds of professional training and development that are relevant to the workforce needs of our business community,” said Tyson. Employers may apply for grant money to subsidize workforce development training for their employees.
Free workforce training opportunities are offered under Pennsylvania’s own guaranteed free training program. WEDnetPA (Workforce and Economic Development Network of Pennsylvania) was developed to strengthen the business environment of the Commonwealth. WEDnetPA provides a training network responsive to employers’ workforce development needs. This network is called The Guaranteed Free Training (GFT) Program.
The keystone of the GFT program is its ability to be responsive to the needs of Pennsylvania’s business community through a flexible and easy-to-use system. Lock Haven University is one of 30 certified partners across the commonwealth administering the grant. Awards are made each fiscal year to eligible companies, with a combined award of up to $125K for basic skills training and information technology training.
The application period is now open for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. To see if your company is eligible, and or to apply please visit here or contact Shannon Tyson at 570-484-3131 or styson@lhup.edu
Tyson is looking forward to reviewing community responses to the survey, and to providing a “rich menu” of courses for the public to choose from.
