Videos

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...

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...

Do Videos Help Grow my Business? Five things to remember when considering online videos to brand and market your image, products or services: The digital age makes a TV quality video possible without the extraordinary investment in infrastructure such as large crews, lighting trucks and so on. It’s a simpler and more direct process that can achieve high definition and very polished and professional results simply by sharing your information and goals with the right people. Buy the people, not the equipment… The bill for production and post-production can be sizable and the results may not produce any greater return (and may prove off-putting). Your director, editor and crew who will work with you on a one-on-one basis and steer you through the process of incorporating your sales pitch and brand with an image and tone that supports those elements is key. Hire technically qualified and experienced people. Online video triggers the emotional centers of the brain… and elicits action from the viewer at a far, far greater ratio than printed matter or audio. Your short and efficient branding video can enjoy a life on social media networks, email and your website that outlasts the capacity and range of impact from any print or radio or static image collateral piece. Plus, it’s “greener” by far. You are your online image in today’s marketplace. .. be sure your still photography is updated regularly and that you have or plan to initiate an online video your site and in your marketing and sales planning, as a static website is out of step with your consumers and will not compete with the multiple moving images they process and to which they respond on daily, and hourly basis. By placing video on your website, you can increase your search engine optimization by 53 times! It’s that simple… and that important. Your video company should be a comfortable and integral extension of your marketing strategies and will be invested in moving your brand forward. You should be looking for a company and crew you are excited to work with again. Let every detail to your professional video company… if you feel you cannot after interviewing them and viewing their prior work , move on. Share examples of video work you like and be sure the company has the capacity and talent to produce it. Obtain a firm quote, signed contract and guarantee on delivery and distribution of your final product. Without those commitments, your enterprise can be delayed or your campaign compromised. You may even have the video you desire, but be lost to incorporate if effectively and maximize your return on investment. A very simple, commercial quality video, or video advertising element, can be produced for less than $5,000, depending on the length, degree of sophistication, necessary equipment, voice over and specialized editing requirements. In many cases, much...