By JOHN McCALLUM
Editor
Eastern Washington University is partnering with Let It Shine LLC president Lucinda Kay to offer a unique series designed to help young people develop valuable professional skills.
The Young Professionals Series is an opportunity to enhance young peoples' abilities in the early stages of their career development. It will assist them in building a professional image as a community member and a leader into the next generation.
Helen Matlock at Eastern's Office of Continuing Education and Professional Advancement said the university felt they needed to do more to assist the younger population, ranging from juniors in high school to sophomore level in college, in their professional development, helping them build up their confidence levels in key communications skills necessary to obtain successful careers.
“That fear of speaking in public, that fear of speaking in class is so present unless you take a class in high school,” Matlock said.
The series will thread the communication concepts of a productive self-image, polished presentation skills, assertive customer relations and partnership development. Some objectives to be achieved through the course are developing and practicing tenets of good communication, recognizing job professionalism while building a proactive, problem-preventative culture, and identifying service opportunities and leadership activities.
Participants will also learn to navigate a multigenerational, multicultural work environment, understand the comprehensive definition of “culture,” and create an action plan to engage in service and activities needed to become a young professional.
Eastern will host this eight-week series with meetings every Monday night at EWU Spokane on the Riverpoint Campus downtown. The first meeting will is at 6 p.m., Jan. 26. The cost of training is $249 per person.
Kay is the owner and president of Let It Shine LLC, based in Spokane. Her team offers communications coaching, public relations and video production. The team serves corporations, nonprofits and entrepreneurs.
People might recognize Kay from KXLY TV; she last worked on Good Morning Northwest. She spent 12 years on TV and radio as a news anchor and reporter. She creates business successes by telling and selling stories. She has been consulting in all aspects of media since 1996.
Weekly topics during the series will focus on introductions; overview, “Using Your Voice;” professionalism and customer relationships; networking, developing and maintaining relationships; working with the generations; positive communication skills; conflict resolution; presentations: “Present Like A Star,” positive leadership and a concluding finale to the class in week eight. Matlock said the course would be taught using a variety of methods.
“Lecture and experience, but in a comfortable setting,” she added.
For information, please contact the Office of Continuing Education and Professional Advancement at 509-359-7380.
John McCallum can be reached at [email protected]
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