WVAdultED Partnerships
WVAdultEd: Community-Focused & Changing Lives
Ben Franklin once stated, “Tell me, and I forget. Teach me, and I remember. Involve me, and I learn.” These words resonate throughout the WVAdultEd (AE) community due to the dedicated collaboration between instructors and their adult students, exemplifying this productive partnership’s critical component. AE instructors sincerely appreciate the opportunity to interact with their students by actively involving each learner in developing a pathway that will help them realize their individual educational goals. This significant interaction occurs through face-to-face, virtual, or a combination of the two educational methodologies. Since the outset of COVID-19, WVAdultEd has resourcefully continued active student engagement through individualized instruction through successful virtual offerings, incorporating remote person-to-person online consultations or group scenarios as appropriate, and by appointment as needed. Educational activities include but are not limited to intensive basic academic skills, high school equivalency (HSE) diploma preparation, job readiness, career exploration, computer literacy, work process skills, English language acquisition programs, distance learning, post-secondary preparation, and academic assessment.
Britanny Dunn, MINT Chat Support, Alorica, Bluefield, WVThe Call Center Training Course offered by the Mercer County Academy of Adult Learning was absolutely beneficial in making my training with Alorica much easier. I already knew many of the terms, and how to deal with various situations I might encounter as a customer service associate. I feel the additional call center training has made me a better employee, and I would definitely recommend the Call Center Training Course to anyone interested in a customer service-related field.
WVAdultEd makes every effort to equip adult students with the academic and life skills necessary to succeed in their adult training program and chosen career path. The class sites have implemented career pathway programs for this endeavor, emphasizing Integrated Education and Training Programs (IETP); these IETPs prepare students, lead to entry into post-secondary education, employment opportunities, and attaining industry-recognized credentials. AE instructors also work closely with their local Career and Technical Education instructors to meet the required components of an IETP which provides adult education and literacy activities, workplace preparation, and workforce training for students in specialized programs such as CNA, LPN, Surgical Tech, Cosmetology, Electrical, etc. With the emphasis on IETPs and the importance of distance education opportunities, business and industry connections remain strong despite COVID-19 challenges.
WVAdultEd has implemented and is delivering several customized career pathway IETPs in partnership with businesses across the state, for example:
Alorica/Intuit is a customer experience company that does one thing – create insanely great customer experiences. They are looking for some crazy cool individuals to embrace a brand-new industry in Bluefield, WV – the Intuit Team. Alorica/Intuit selected Bluefield, WV (Mercer County) as the site for their Customer Success Center and will be hiring ~ 400 Customer Service Representatives to service their Intuit – QuickBooks and Mint customers. Before the outset of COVID-19, several meetings held at the WVAdultEd Mercer County Adult Learning Center (ALC) resulted in a partnership with Alorica/Intuit. Once the pandemic changed our training delivery process, several virtual brain-storming sessions were held with Alorica/Intuit to create a Call Center Training Course (CCTC) IETP to assist with their hiring endeavors. Mercer County ALC developed an exceptional customized CCTC IETP online training package to help individuals prepare for this career opportunity, which is available virtually for individuals interested in applying.
Anita Hines, Marketing Associate, Coordinating Council for Independent Living, Keyser, WVWe are excited about the amazing training package Jefferson County Adult Learning Center developed. The Adult Learning Center instructors and West Virginia Choice staff worked jointly, consulting with compliance officers along the way, ensuring all state requirements were met for both programs. The training designed will be beneficial for new-hires and current workers attaining their annual training in a safe, efficient way.
Jefferson County Adult Learning Center (ALC) has partnered with Coordinating Council for Independent Living or West Virginia Choice (WVC) on an IETP, also open to English language learners for an Integrated English Language Civics Education (IELCE) IETP. Jefferson County ALC worked to redesign WVC’s existing training program and develop an up-to-date, state-of-art virtual training package for WVC’s direct care workers. This training project will serve WVC new-hires as well as incumbent workers. Jefferson County ALC created this impressive online course in Schoology with links to Edgenuity. The pilot program in Jefferson County began with the hopes of a statewide implementation later. WVC is in all 55 counties and employs between 2200+ employees (mostly direct care workers), serving over 3000 clients.
The dedicated efforts of WVAdultEd instructors are evident in the success stories, positive results, and the changed lives that have benefited from the multiple opportunities offered by WVAdultEd’s job and skill training, certifications, and HSE activities. These efforts are admirable given a typical academic year. Still, with COVID-19, this labor has been heroic, creating opportunities for instructors to think “outside of the box” when responding to the challenging circumstances brought forth by the pandemic. The individual attention offered to each student cannot be overstated, with the educational requirements representing only a negligible portion of the actual requirements necessitated by the adult learner. Often, adult students have housing, nutritional, and psychological needs which require being addressed first with our partners in the community, before the attainment of any educational goals, can be fully realized. This dedication to the individual student will remain the focus of WVAdultEd activities through our continued efforts to enhance the communities in which we live, one student at a time, by promoting efficient job and skill training, pertinent certifications, HSE activities, and individualized educational offerings.