New Learning Connection Programs

Basic Finance and Accounting for Business (New and Improved)
Tuesday, March 27, 2007

This practical workshop emphasizes basic accounting and finance practices that underpin business decisions in today's organizations. Every professional needs fundamental financial savvy in order to understand how organizations spend and earn money, how they account for financial flows, the budgeting process and how financial reports work to support business results.

Key topics include:
•  how to read and understand financial statements
•  basic cost accounting principles
•  how to use financial reports and analyses
•  how to support your financial decision making and
•  how to evaluate an organization's financial position.

Multiple examples and application exercises are used to increase participant's understanding of the role of finance and accounting in their day-to-day decision process. No prior budgeting or accounting experience is necessary.


Effective Selection Interviewing
Friday, March 30, 2007

Hiring managers have an important responsibility in the selection process. Their goal is to find the most qualified candidate for a job position in order to meet organizational objectives. At the same time, organizations face legal requirements which are demonstrated through hiring managers' objective, non-biased interviewing and selection practices.

Participants in this program will learn how to:
•  demonstrate an effective, consistent and legal hiring process for their organizations;
•  interview effectively, powerfully and with confidence;
•  evaluate candidates and make legal, high quality selection decisions.

This workshop teaches the skills of interviewing within the framework of a legal hiring process. Participants will experience multiple applications of interview techniques to real work situations, followed by feedback and tips for increasing their effectiveness. Techniques for developing selection criteria, crafting effective interview questions, evaluating candidates objectively and expertly handling the interview sequence will also be covered.


Introduction to Project Management
Thursday, April 26, 2007

This practical workshop is designed to cover the basics of project management. It will explore the phases of the project life cycle; discuss some tools including work breakdown structure, task lists and issue lists. A Gantt chart will also be discussed and how it could be constructed using Excel.

Key topics include:
•  Project management---what is it?
•  Life cycle of a project
•  Explore each step in the life cycle
•  Some key tools used in project management and
•  Communication of the project management process to others

Multiple examples and application exercises are used to increase the participant's understanding of project management. No prior experience with project management is necessary.

Registration
To register for The Learning Connection programs, please contact Kelly Sarianos at ksarianos@northampton.edu or 610-861-5590.