Professional Development

Today’s episode of Coffee With focuses on careers, specifically career building and training. Joining our discussion is Mrs. Valerie Njie, the Executive Director and Senior Vice President of Bidwell Training Center (BTC). Bidwell Training Center is a non-profit career training school that has been changing people’s lives since 1968. At Bidwell, Mrs. Njie is part of an amazing organization that equips students with superb skills that can lead them to meaningful employment and empower them to become more confident, productive, and professional. Bidwell Training Center has almost 50 years of experience providing top-of-the-line career training and consistently attracts national attention for their innovative training programs. Beyond that, Bidwell Training Center is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges and is a member of over 10 national and regional professional organizations. The majors offered at BTC provide learners with the hands-on skillsets they need to be prepared and competitive in the marketplace. Mrs. Njie has committed decades towards serving the Pittsburgh community and enriching the lives of others. In 2014, she was elected to serve as School Commissioner by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). Mrs. Njie has been one of the ACCSC’s most active volunteers, and was selected as Volunteer of the Year in 2009. Beyond that, she has been honored with the 2009 Duquesne Light African American Leadership Award for Education as well as a 2006 Women of Influence designation from the New Pittsburgh Courier. Mrs. Njie’s outstanding dedication to the Pittsburgh community was most recently recognized in 2015 when she received the University of Pittsburgh’s Volunteer Excellence Award. The award annually recognizes Pitt alumni who have enriched the lives of others through extraordinary efforts in the...

Steps To Empowering Your Business Growth Creating business growth takes consistent planning and strategy. Educational webinars are a great source of information and can help you and your business grow.  This can be achieved through business education, regular professional business development and presentations of business events. Check out these top 5 resources for Educational WEBINARs: Education For Business Sake Business education doesn’t end with an MBA. Education should be accepted as a lifelong opportunity for focusing on business trends and curves. By maintaining an attitude of continuous education, opportunities to seek out the most advantageous additional courses provide the extra edge for business growth. Professional Development Along with additional education enhancements, professional business development ranks among the necessary elements for business growth. Professional development requires marketing, sales, management, staffing and executive skills. Achieving the rank of professional isn’t just a matter of title. Development at each phase of business determines the quality of professionalism of the individual. Business Events That Affect Business Growth The business professional seeking optimum business growth employs a give and take attitude toward events that help their businesses. It’s as important to present an event as it is to take part in events. This is the basic structure of networking. Surrounding your business with a beneficial network helps grow business stature. To Grow Your Business Today’s webinars and seminars fill a particular gap that links direct offline events and business presentations with the internet world. For businesses, this is an unparalleled opportunity for growth. The hi-tech world can be a catalyst for advancing business image as well as name recognition, branding and ranking. Creating linked business webinars and seminars produces a well-structured microcosm of vested target markets. The links between webinars and seminars should be seamlessly woven to create an overlapping flow of interest and awareness of the specific business. This is also true for patrons attending webinars and seminars. Thus, the “give and take” attitude becomes the operative for giving patrons a direct link online and off while the business takes in a higher rate of growth. Educate, Develop, Grow Present webinars and seminars with a professional style and content. Contrast this by attending webinars and seminars that focus on educating, developing and growing your business. These may contain new ideas for management structure, creating cohesive team embodiment and financial and economic guidelines as well as current compliance regulations relating to business operations. A tightly knit program of webinars and seminars for patrons and businesses offering them are essential for business...

  U can B @ Clayton High School will conclude in May with ‘Career Days at Clayton High’! Career Days will begin with an Interview Competition on May 1th. This will be followed by an in-school Career Fair on May 20th. The Building Bridges for Business U can B Program, a series of career awareness classes aimed at high school and middle school students, launched its first classes at Clayton Academy in Pittsburgh’s North Side on March 2, 2016. U can B classes at Clayton were provided through support of the Verizon Foundation. Topics for middle and high school students ranged from Career Interests to STEM-related Careers to Job Readiness Classes. Students in the middle school were registered for FREE online career profiles via STEM Premier. Students in the high school at Clayton focused specifically on topics such as Work Readiness, Job Search, Interview Skills, and Networking in preparation for Career Days. May 11th Interview Day Students are currently working on resumes and cover letters as a class project. These will be completed and reviewed by Clayton teachers prior to the Interview Day. On May 11th, students will participate in a panel style interview. U can B teachers, Clayton staff, and volunteers from the community will make up three panels. Students will cycle through for individual interviews. A scoring rubric will be used by the panelists to assess students’ interview performance. Three Awards will be selected: Best Interview, Best Resume, Best Cover Letter. Certificates and prizes will be presented to the winners. Certificates of Participation are to be presented to all students who completed the U can B Program. Winners to be announced at the May 20th Career Fair. May 20th Career Fair The U can B team has organized a Career Fair which will take place at Clayton on May 20th between 10:00-12:00. The Fair will be followed by a cookout and celebration. Students, teachers, U can B staff, employers, and volunteers are invited to attend the cookout. Approximately 65 students are expected. Awards will be presented during the cookout and celebration. The Career Fair and Cookout will be a wonderful way to conclude the school year. Students have put a lot of time and effort into the U can B Program at Clayton, and the May 20th event is their reward for that hard work. In addition to the celebration, students will have the opportunity to discuss jobs and careers with representatives from several Pittsburgh-area businesses including but not limited to United States Probation & Pretrial Services of Western PA, Allegheny Health Network, IBEX Global, Career Talk on KDKA, Legal Shield, and Arias Agencies. Arias Agencies, a division of American Income Life, has agreed to participate and present certificates of completion to the students. Title sponsor of Career Talk on KDKA, Arias Agencies has been an on-going supporter and hiring partner of the...

Description of Services – U Can B Group Sessions U Can B group sessions include a variety of activities designed to engage students of all backgrounds, levels of ability, interests, and skill level. The classroom sessions offer learning experiences through a number of hands-on and lecture-based presentations. Topic areas include the following: 1.) Work Readiness & Soft Skills – U Can B teachers and guest speakers offer a plethora of content related to work readiness and soft skills. Through video, lecture and activity, students learn about Teamwork, Communication, Critical Thinking & Problem Solving, Professionalism, Interview Skills, and Workplace Culture. 2.) Networking & Job Search – U Can B students learn from teachers and local HR representatives the most up-to-date and effective job searching techniques. These include Networking, Using Social Media, Using Social Media Responsibly, How to Work a Job Fair, Job Applications, Resume Writing, and more! 3.) Career Awareness – U Can B guest speakers provide students with first-hand career awareness and exposure to careers in IT, Health Care, Film & Media, Green & Sustainable, Veterinarian & Animal Care, Trades, Government & Politics, and Entrepreneurship. 4.) Basic IT Skills – Through the use and access to O*Net Online (a DOL career exploration database), Career Talk on KDKA, and other technologies, U Can B students have an opportunity to enhance and/or improve basic IT skills. The U Can B Program supplements classroom learning with other activities designed to educate students, give students exposure to the world of work, and to generate potential employment opportunities for high school students and/or soon-to-be graduates. U Can B services are for sure unique. The program stands alone in that it currently operates in local schools and interacts daily with the local business community. U Can B services offer a unique educational experience to local high school and middle schools students while simultaneously serving as the bridge between young, local talent and employers in the public and private sectors who are seeking the next generation of Pittsburgh’s talented...

Pittsburgh Perry High School and local nonprofit, Building Bridges for Business, hosts Opportunity Fairs for parents, students and local employers. Building Bridges for Business, Perry High School and the Pittsburgh Public Schools will host the Opportunity Fair at Perry High School in the Northside of Pittsburgh, PA. Councilwoman Darlene Harris said, “I’d like to thank the Pittsburgh Public Schools and Building Bridges for organizing this unique event. It is important for the city’s youth to know that there are great opportunities for blue and white collar jobs on the North Side, and throughout the Pittsburgh region. I encourage both parents and students to attend.” The Perry High School – Opportunity Fair will be held in March 15, 2016 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm in the Perry High School cafeteria. Employers and recruiters will give information to potential employees. Both adults and student job seekers can attend the Opportunity Fair on March 15, 2016. Parents and students are encouraged to bring a resume and apply for positions that evening. Parents and students will be able to meet with 15+ employers including The City of Pittsburgh, Modcloth, Bidwell, Rosedale Technical College, Goodwill, Allegheny Health Network, Job Corps, The Program for Offenders, UPS, Atlas Dreams Languages, US District Court, Logix Guru, American Income Life and local Northside businesses. Building Bridges for Business is a 501©3 organization providing career education via their program U can B. U can B has 80+ weeks of curriculum meeting the Pennsylvania State Education Association teaching standards. The U can B program also uses their Coffee With Show videos and in person speakers to engage students. Entrepreneurs and businesspeople, along with the non-profit organization Building Bridges for Business, are giving local students the chance to see what life is like after high school and college. Building Bridges for Business will host several other Opportunity Fair events throughout Allegheny County. Every event will provide access to education and the region’s amazing business resources. Details of the organization’s history and programs can be found on www.buildingbridgesforbusiness.org. Contact for the Press Release Ebony Pugh, Public Information Officer, Pittsburgh Public Schools Work phone is 412-529-3616 and cell...

Perry High School and local non profit, Building Bridges for Business, hosts Opportunity Fairs for parents, students and local employers. Building Bridges for Business, Perry High School and the Pittsburgh Public Schools will host the Opportunity Fair at Perry High School in the Northside of Pittsburgh, PA. Parents and students will be able to apply for jobs. Councilwoman Darlene Harris said, “I’d like to thank the Pittsburgh Public Schools and Building Bridges for organizing this unique event. It is important for the city’s youth to know that there are great opportunities for blue and white collar jobs on the North Side, and throughout the Pittsburgh region. I encourage both parents and students to attend.” The Perry High School – Opportunity Fair will be held in March 15, 2016 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm in the Perry High School cafeteria. Employers and recruiters, will give information to potential employees. Both adults and student job seekers can attend the Opportunity Fair on March 15, 2016. Parents and students are encouraged to bring your resume and apply for positions that evening. Parents and students will be able to meet with 15+ employers including Allegheny Health Network, The City of Pittsburgh, Modcloth, Amazon, Bidwell, Rosedale Technical College, and local Northside businesses. Building Bridges for Business is a 501©3 organization providing career education via their program U can B. U can B has 60+ weeks of curriculum meeting the PA STATE teaching guidelines. U can B also uses their Coffee With Show and in person speakers to engage students. Entrepreneurs and businesspeople, along with the non-profit organization Building Bridges for Business, are giving local students the chance to see what life is like after high school and college. Building Bridges for Business will host several other Opportunity Fair events throughout Allegheny County. Every event will provide access to education and the region’s amazing business resources. Details of the organization’s history and programs can be found on...