How to Kickstart Your Education and Career
Kim Becicka discusses the Kirkwood Kickstart Program.
Featuring:
Kim Becicka
Kim Becicka is the Vice President of Continuing Education and Training Services at Kirkwood Community College. She has twenty-two years of experience working in workforce and economic development within the Iowa community college system. During her tenure with Kirkwood, Kim has been integral to the implementation and success of numerous federal, state, and locally funded programs designed to build the regional workforce. Her work in leading edge workforce policy as led to the creation of the Iowa's GAP Tuition Assistance, Pathways for Academic Career Education and Employment, and sector partnership programs. Transcription:
Scott Webb: Whether you're looking to work in a technology field or just want to improve your online learning skills. The free digital kickstart courses offered at Kirkwood Community College are a great option. And here to tell us about the program is Kim Becicka, Vice President of Continuing Education and Training Services at Kirkwood Community College. This podcast is brought to you by Kirkwood Community College, I'm Scott Webb. Kim, thanks so much for joining me today. Tell us about the free digital kickstart courses at Kirkwood.
Kim Becicka: As we have seen our community and our constituents impacted by COVID, we wanted to do something for the community that we felt would be beneficial for anyone, but in particular individuals that maybe going back to school or thinking about applying for different jobs as a result of the situation that they found themselves in. So the digital kickstart courses are free and they are entry level beginning digital skills courses. So this will help individuals who may not feel completely comfortable in this new information technology era beyond maybe their smartphones. And these courses, then we'll just help them ramp up some skills that we hope will help them be more competitive for jobs and help them not fear coming back to college and taking online courses.
Host: And so, what free classes are being offered and what will they cover?
Kim Becicka: So, we have six different courses that we're offering in this series. So of course we have computer basics and that's exactly what, you know, what it is, how the computer operates, how you pull up different windows how you utilize keyboard shortcuts, the mouse, et cetera. Then we also have one on safety. Often as you're doing more internet searches or working with your technology more, we have to be more and more concerned and understanding of safe practices. The next is digital communication. So how do you communicate online? What types of communication systems are available for you? How is communicating online possibly different than when you're communicating face-to-face or communicating through your phone? We also have a course for online learning just really all of the practices and approaches being an online learning with some tips and tricks to help that experience be more beneficial.
We also have a class on virtual employment now, particularly with COVID interviews are being done on the phone or on other zoom tech technologies like zoom. And so this is just of course, to help individuals get comfortable for what in a virtual employment job search or interviewing would involve. And then we have a course on resiliency. We know that this is a difficult time, there are so many different levels of impact related to COVID-19. And this is simply a course that's available that talks about coping mechanisms and resiliency and being sure we pay attention to our mental health during this time period as well. So quite a mix and very diverse also.
Host: Yeah, that sounds good. So who should take advantage of these free classes and what will they gain by taking them?
Kim Becicka: Well, we hope anyone can take advantage of these classes from youth to individuals 50 plus that want to become more comfortable in the computer environment, to individuals who are a new student to college and will be taking their first online classes as well. So they really are available to the community at large and what students will gain first and foremost, we hope is confidence. Confidence in their skills, confidence in the new environment that we find ourselves of the increasing use of technology, particularly now as the face to face communication used in our business world and in our schools is not at a hundred percent any longer. We're using different types of technologies to communicate, and this will help individuals be comfortable with those and confident in their use.
Host: And Kim, why is it so important for individuals to have strong digital skills in today's job market?
Kim Becicka: Yeah, absolutely. What we are seeing in the job market is certainly an increased emphasis on digital skills for just about every occupation that's out there. But we're also seeing a movement from some positions that don't require. The ability to use technology are that is changing over time. Every job has some elements of the use of technology, and that's only going to accelerate post COVID as well as employers are looking and searching for ways to increase efficiency through the use of technology, virtual reality, augmented reality, etcetera. So the more assistance we can provide in helping people be comfortable with technology and know that, Oh, this isn't that bad. I can do this. And I want to learn more now that I've gotten that base level of confidence.
Host: And so, if someone wants to sign up for one or all of these classes, how can they do that?
Kim Becicka: There are two options for them to sign up. They can certainly give us a call at (319) 398-1022. And they just need to ask about the digital kickstart courses, or they can go to our website, www.kirkwood.edu/kickstartcourses.
Host: Kim, thanks so much for your time today, as always, if folks have questions, head to kirkwood.edu, and thanks so much for listening to this podcast brought to you by Kirkwood Community College. I'm Scott Webb, stay well.
Scott Webb: Whether you're looking to work in a technology field or just want to improve your online learning skills. The free digital kickstart courses offered at Kirkwood Community College are a great option. And here to tell us about the program is Kim Becicka, Vice President of Continuing Education and Training Services at Kirkwood Community College. This podcast is brought to you by Kirkwood Community College, I'm Scott Webb. Kim, thanks so much for joining me today. Tell us about the free digital kickstart courses at Kirkwood.
Kim Becicka: As we have seen our community and our constituents impacted by COVID, we wanted to do something for the community that we felt would be beneficial for anyone, but in particular individuals that maybe going back to school or thinking about applying for different jobs as a result of the situation that they found themselves in. So the digital kickstart courses are free and they are entry level beginning digital skills courses. So this will help individuals who may not feel completely comfortable in this new information technology era beyond maybe their smartphones. And these courses, then we'll just help them ramp up some skills that we hope will help them be more competitive for jobs and help them not fear coming back to college and taking online courses.
Host: And so, what free classes are being offered and what will they cover?
Kim Becicka: So, we have six different courses that we're offering in this series. So of course we have computer basics and that's exactly what, you know, what it is, how the computer operates, how you pull up different windows how you utilize keyboard shortcuts, the mouse, et cetera. Then we also have one on safety. Often as you're doing more internet searches or working with your technology more, we have to be more and more concerned and understanding of safe practices. The next is digital communication. So how do you communicate online? What types of communication systems are available for you? How is communicating online possibly different than when you're communicating face-to-face or communicating through your phone? We also have a course for online learning just really all of the practices and approaches being an online learning with some tips and tricks to help that experience be more beneficial.
We also have a class on virtual employment now, particularly with COVID interviews are being done on the phone or on other zoom tech technologies like zoom. And so this is just of course, to help individuals get comfortable for what in a virtual employment job search or interviewing would involve. And then we have a course on resiliency. We know that this is a difficult time, there are so many different levels of impact related to COVID-19. And this is simply a course that's available that talks about coping mechanisms and resiliency and being sure we pay attention to our mental health during this time period as well. So quite a mix and very diverse also.
Host: Yeah, that sounds good. So who should take advantage of these free classes and what will they gain by taking them?
Kim Becicka: Well, we hope anyone can take advantage of these classes from youth to individuals 50 plus that want to become more comfortable in the computer environment, to individuals who are a new student to college and will be taking their first online classes as well. So they really are available to the community at large and what students will gain first and foremost, we hope is confidence. Confidence in their skills, confidence in the new environment that we find ourselves of the increasing use of technology, particularly now as the face to face communication used in our business world and in our schools is not at a hundred percent any longer. We're using different types of technologies to communicate, and this will help individuals be comfortable with those and confident in their use.
Host: And Kim, why is it so important for individuals to have strong digital skills in today's job market?
Kim Becicka: Yeah, absolutely. What we are seeing in the job market is certainly an increased emphasis on digital skills for just about every occupation that's out there. But we're also seeing a movement from some positions that don't require. The ability to use technology are that is changing over time. Every job has some elements of the use of technology, and that's only going to accelerate post COVID as well as employers are looking and searching for ways to increase efficiency through the use of technology, virtual reality, augmented reality, etcetera. So the more assistance we can provide in helping people be comfortable with technology and know that, Oh, this isn't that bad. I can do this. And I want to learn more now that I've gotten that base level of confidence.
Host: And so, if someone wants to sign up for one or all of these classes, how can they do that?
Kim Becicka: There are two options for them to sign up. They can certainly give us a call at (319) 398-1022. And they just need to ask about the digital kickstart courses, or they can go to our website, www.kirkwood.edu/kickstartcourses.
Host: Kim, thanks so much for your time today, as always, if folks have questions, head to kirkwood.edu, and thanks so much for listening to this podcast brought to you by Kirkwood Community College. I'm Scott Webb, stay well.