Columbia Starting Professional Development Institute

Columbia, CA — Columbia College is planning to expand its reach into the community.

This semester the college is kicking off what’s called the Professional Development Institute. It targets employers and members of the local workforce. Program Leader Twyla Olsen says there is constant change in the workplace, and productivity can improve with things such as better communication and problem solving skills.

There will be four sessions over the next few months that will be held off campus at the Sonora Fire Station. February 8th will focus on attitude in the workforce, March 8th is communication in the workforce, April 12th is generational diversity and May 10th will be decision making and problem solving. The sessions are four hours long and cost $25 per person.

The instructor could also go into the business to provide training, if requested by an employer. Since it is a new program, there will be a kickoff luncheon on January 25th at Stage Three Theater in downtown Sonora where there will be a dialogue about what types of skills community members would like to see taught by the Professional Development Institute. An end goal of the program is to have a more productive workforce, which could improve the local economy.

For more information on the program, you can contact Olsen at olsent@yosemite.edu.