College of the Canyons is set to offer eight free classes this semester designed to teach Santa Clarita employees how to take their careers to the next level.

The new short-term career skills classes are scheduled to start Oct. 8, including:

• Time Management
• Business Writing in the Technology Age
• Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making
• Best Practices in Customer Service
• The Art of Negotiating and Collaboration
• Personality Styles and Difficult Relationships
• Successfully Managing and Developing People
• Communication Strategies for the Workplace

Related: COC Ranked As The Top U.S. College For Adult Education In Southern California

“In talking with local companies, we hear over and over again that these are the key skills employees need to not only help their companies grow, but also be successful in reaching their own individual career goals,” said Justin Wallace, the college’s director of educational partnerships.  

The free classes are available through COC’s School of Continuing Education, and are set to be offered in afternoon and evening sessions, as well as online, to accommodate the schedules of working adults.

Each class is eight hours long and can be completed in one week, and as soon as one class ends, another begins the following week, according COC officials.  

Students who successfully complete multiple classes can earn certificates of achievement, which include:

The Workplace Essentials Certificate

Awarded after finishing three classes: Time Management; Business Writing in the Technology Age; and Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making.

The Customer Relations Certificate

Awarded by completing three classes: Best Practices in Customer Service; The Art of Negotiating and Collaboration; and Personality Styles and Difficult Relationships.

The Management Tools Certificate

Awarded by taking two classes: Successfully Managing and Developing People; and Communication Strategies for the Workplace.

“Because these classes are free and offered online at convenient times, they offer a unique opportunity for local residents to gain a competitive advantage in their careers,” Wallace said.  

Students can choose to take courses available at COC’s Canyon Country Campus or at the new Santa Clarita Plaza classroom on Bouquet Canyon Road.

For more information about the new career skills classes, click here.

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