Bert's Alerts—Oct. 11, 2019
In the Spotlight
In celebration of Deaf Awareness Week, CWI Disability Services recently hosted a potluck for members of the Deaf community. More than 80 people were in attendance including sign language interpreters, ASL students from across the Treasure Valley, interpreting students from Idaho State University (ISU), and instructors from ISU, Boise State, and CWI.
News Highlights
Construction Class Builds Bridge to Workforce
Construction Career Launcher classes kicked off on Tuesday, Oct. 1, and are off to another great start with 22 students. The program is a partnership with Idaho Governor’s Workforce Development Council, Idaho Associated General Contractors, Idaho International Rescue Committee, West Ada School District CTE Programs, and College of Western Idaho (CWI).
With the surge in construction in the Treasure Valley, there is a need for skilled employees in construction-related jobs. We Build Idaho and CWI's Workforce Development team partnered to offer an eight-week training program that will equip participants with knowledge and practical skills in various construction career pathways.
“CWI is very appreciative of our community partnerships helping to deliver the Construction Career Launcher class,” said Marc Swinney, CWI’s Director of Business and Manufacturing programs in Workforce Development. “This program is designed to help job seekers and the construction industry to connect trained talent to a real need for entry-level jobs. We couldn’t have done it without our partners and top-notch industry teachers, Ron Alexander and Alex Maros.”
During the final week of the training program, participants will be given the opportunity to attend a hiring fair with area construction companies. At the hiring event, contractors will have the opportunity to interview potential new employees and even hire them on the spot.
New Access Procedures for NADM
To ensure a safe and secure environment for our CWI community, the Facilities, Planning, and Management team continually review access, procedures, and events surrounding all of our campus locations. Upon recommendation from the Facilities team, President’s Cabinet is announcing a change to the Nampa Campus Administration Building (NADM).
Due to the current door-access technology for NADM, upgrades have been identified to bring it up to the same standard as other CWI buildings. Before the implementation of these upgrades, some permanent changes are being made in regards to access at NADM.
Three suite entry doors in NADM have been identified as card access, employee-only entrances:
- Suite 102, College Relations, main suite door
- Suite 201, President’s Office, hallway door behind the reception area
- Suite 201, North entrance suite door
Beginning Monday, Oct. 14, these doors will be locked and will require card access.
To inquire about access or if you have questions, please feel free to contact Facilities, Planning, and Management at 208.562.3545 or facilities@cwi.edu.
Fire Service Technology Open House
Do you have a desire to serve your community and become a firefighter? Take the first step by visiting the Fire Service Technology program’s Open House on Thursday, Oct. 24, from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. at the Nampa Fire Department Training Center.
Students, staff, faculty, and community partners are encouraged to visit and learn more about this new program. Watch as current students complete their Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT), which involves students navigating eight stations.
“This open house is a great opportunity to give interested students a first-hand look at the current academy being taught through CWI at the Nampa Fire Department Training Center,” said Director of Fire Service Technology, Darrin Raskopf. “It's a great opportunity to see current students on their path to becoming firefighters in the Treasure Valley.”
CWI’s academy is taught by firefighters from local fire departments.
Staff will be available to answer questions about the program and application process. For more information, contact cwifireprogram@cwi.edu or call 208-562-2671.
2020 Connections Project Logo Contest
Make connections, educate others, and inspire innovation and creativity at the 2020 Connections Project – an annual event celebrating culture, collaboration, education, innovation, and achievement. The Connections Project committee is calling upon current CWI students to showcase their talents by designing a logo for next April’s event. Deadline for submissions is 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30. The winner will be notified by Nov. 15. The winning logo will be used for marketing efforts surrounding the event, and the designer will receive a $150 cash prize!
Submission instructions and a style guide are available on Blackboard in myCommons/Engage/Connections Project. Contact Karen Brown at 208.562.3121 or karenbrown@cwi.edu for more information.
2019 Halloween Costume Contest
Something is brewing! It is time to showcase your creative costuming on Thursday, Oct. 31, by participating in College of Western Idaho’s Culture and Employee Engagement Committee’s annual Halloween Costume Contest. Prizes will be awarded for best overall individual, overall group, and overall by building. Costumes must be worn at work to be eligible to win.
To enter, simply send photos of individual or group costumes to ceec@cwi.edu by end of day Nov. 1. Winners will be announced on Nov. 4.
Cybersecurity Awareness: Best Practices
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Stay secure by observing the following best practices while on and off campus:
- Handle and safeguard business information like you would your own personal information. Business information containing personally identifiable and proprietary information should not be shared carelessly or sent using unsecured methods such as email.
- Don’t use your work email for personal use. Employees who use their work email address for personal use put organizations at risk. Many organizations have likely had their email credentials compromised without realizing it. The majority of these come from breaches of social media, gaming, and dating sites. These findings point to the fact many employees use their company email addresses to register for personal online accounts.
- Make sure you lock your workstation when you walk away. Using Microsoft Windows, you can accomplish this by holding down the Windows key, usually located lower left of keyboard, and pressing the “L” key. For Mac users, use Control-Shift-Power. For older Macs with an optical drive, use Control-Shift-Eject.
- Ensure your password is just as smart as the device used. We are all guilty of using our favorite password then adding numbers and characters to it. Instead, avoid using obvious personal information that can be found on social media. Use different passwords on different accounts. Try using a password manager to generate and store your passwords.
- Use the secure print option when printing documents. Documents will not print until you swipe your ID card at a printer to retrieve them, this prevents them from being left unattended. Secure print also allows you to print from your workstation and retrieve your documents from any printer on campus using your ID card.
Contact Mike Wilson at mikewilson1@cwidaho.cc or 208.562.3193 with questions or for more information, and stay tuned for more tips and information on cybersecurity awareness in future issues of Bert’s Alerts.
