Bert's Alerts - August 13, 2015
In the Spotlight
College of Western Idaho (CWI) is pleased to announce a self-service food and vending market is now open for business at CWI’s Nampa Campus Academic Building. The service, which is similar to the market at Ada County Campus, is located in the first-floor common area. The market offers a variety of items, including fresh food, and is based on an honor system of payment where customers access items out of machines and pay at a kiosk. The kiosks accept cash, debit and credit cards, and Paypal accounts. There are security cameras in the area to monitor payment.
News Highlights
President Glandon to Deliver College Address
College of Western Idaho (CWI) President Bert Glandon will deliver the 2015 Fall State of the College Address to CWI’s faculty, staff, students, and the public:
Wednesday, Aug. 19
Breakfast - 7:30 a.m.
Address - 8:45 a.m.
Nampa Civic Center
Dr. Glandon will share highlights and accomplishments of the College from 2014-15, while providing insight into the goals and initiatives CWI will be aspiring to for the upcoming academic year. Following the President’s Address, CWI will celebrate its employees with faculty and staff recognition.
For anyone who cannot attend, a recorded version will be available from the CWI YouTube channel for later viewing.
Masonry Industry to Benefit from New Grant
The Idaho Department of Labor awarded the College of Western Idaho (CWI) $25,000 that will fund a new masonry program through Workforce Development at the college. The grant will be instrumental in training future workforce for the masonry industry.
The Treasure Valley’s ever-growing construction industry has produced a significant demand for skilled and formally-trained masons. The Department of Labor projects there will be a 43 percent growth in available jobs locally over the next seven years. The grant is in response to this industry workforce need. With a dwindling workforce due to experienced masons retiring, there is a lack of skilled masons to replace them.
In addition to the shortage of new masons, local employers have identified two other gaps. There is no formal training program to teach people who want to explore the industry, and there is no avenue available for people working in the trade to receive additional training. This new three-year program at CWI will address both concerns.
The masonry program, which will also be taught in partnership with West Ada School District, will have two facets; hands-on work in the field and formal training in the classroom. The hands-on apprenticeship component will be “earn and learn” training that combines supervised on-the-job training, job-related education, and scalable wage progression.
“This program is being built through collaboration and action in response to the business community’s needs,” Christi Rood, the executive director for CWI’s Workforce Development, said. “We are happy the business community stepped forwarded and that we will be able to meet its needs. The ability to collaborate with West Ada (school district) on both curriculum and space is also exciting.”
The CWI class will be offered one night a week and one Saturday per month. Instructors will visit the student’s job site at least twice a year to assess their work. The new program has seats available for 15 students. Enrollment will begin in the next two weeks once the class schedule is established.
For more information or questions, contact Workforce Development at 208.562.2700 or email wd@cwi.edu.
Explore Fast Track Healthcare Programs at CWI
On August 27, College of Western Idaho (CWI) Workforce Development (WD) will invite the community to campus to explore the healthcare career opportunities that are available through WD’s fast-track training programs and classes. Instructors and students will be on-hand to talk with attendees and help answer questions about the programs and careers.
The event will take place:
Thursday, August 27
5-7 p.m.
Ada County Campus Quail Court, Room 2210
1450 S. Eagle Flight Way, Boise – View Map
Programs and classes through WD Healthcare and Emergency Medical Services can be completed in as little as eight hours, and up to eleven months. Classes are taught throughout southwestern Idaho, from Donnelly to Fruitland and Boise to Caldwell. For even more flexibility, some classes are offered online and via distance learning.
CWI WD offers a variety of fast-track healthcare programs and classes:
- Medical Assistant
- Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
- Medical Coding and Billing
- Pharmacy Technician
- Phlebotomy
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
- Paramedic
- CPR
Please call 208.562.2700 or email wd@cwi.edu for more information about the event or with any questions about the healthcare and emergency medical programs.
CWI to Host Welcome Week Event
College of Western Idaho (CWI) is happy to introduce Welcome Wednesday as the College’s new back-to-school celebration event. Welcome Wednesday will be geared towards helping students learn about CWI and get connected, while learning about campus resources and making friends. All CWI students and their families are invited to take part in the fun festivities on Aug. 19.
At Welcome Wednesday, students will have the opportunity to meet instructors, explore campus locations, and learn about resources available. There will also be free food, games, activities, and an appearance by CWI President Bert Glandon.
CWI will host Welcome Wednesday events at both the Nampa Campus Academic Building and Ada County Campus Pintail Center. The fun starts at 4 p.m. and goes to 7 p.m. For any questions, or to request special accommodations, please email StudentLife@cwi.edu.
Join CWI Team in Walk to End Alzheimer’s
A group from College of Western Idaho (CWI) have formed a team for the Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's event on Oct. 3. They are looking for additional volunteers interested in joining the cause. The walk is set up for all abilities and is a nationwide effort to help end this terrible disease. As a team, CWI can support the fight against the nation's sixth-leading cause of death.
Registration is easy; simply visit the Walk to End Alzheimer's participant page and join the CWI Cares team. Please email CWI Cares team captains Jennifer Couch (jennifercouch@cwi.edu) or Pam Hodges (pamhodges@cwi.edu) with any questions.
Moore Selected for Faculty Award
Shelly Moore has been selected for College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Faculty of Distinction for June.
As a member of CWI’s Business program, Moore is a favorite with students. They love how she is kind yet tough and really prepares them well for getting a four-year degree.
Moore also advises the College’s Entrepreneurs Club. Under her guidance, the Entrepreneurs Club hosted its fifth Settlers of Catan Tournament which gets students, faculty, and members of the community together to play a game that uses business and economics concepts to win. Also, the Entrepreneurs Club partnered with Exercise and Health Science to put on the Business of Sports Symposium. Moore was responsible for managing the calendar, speakers, and marketing to ensure a very successful event, which had hundreds of students participate.
Please join in congratulating Shelly. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to CWI and its students.
