Williams Lake Campus
Community Education and Workforce Development: Professional/Personal Development
At Thompson Rivers University, Williams Lake campus, the following professional development courses are offered:
- Awakenings Anti-Racism Exploration
- Basic Cook Skills Training
- Food Sovereignty Micro-Credential
- Management Skills for Supervisors
- Meeting Procedures and Minute Taking
- Proposal Writing
- Stepping up to Supervision
- SuperHost™ Customer Service Training
Awakenings Anti-Racism Exploration • XSLF 0330
- 8-week small group experience; 2 hours/ week
- Begin to develop allyship by analyzing the structures and dynamics that keep racism in place within our society
- Provides a solid foundation for those at the beginning of their anti-racism journey
- For those with prior knowledge, it offers integration and an opportunity to go deeper and renew commitment and motivation
- Each session covers a different aspect of anti-racism and allyship
- Includes grounding practices, experiential exercises, and full group and small group discussions
Dates: To be announced
Time: Wednesdays, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. (for 8 weeks)
Fee: $350
Basic Cook Skills Training • XFOO 0550
The objective of this hands-on program is to train students to an acceptable skill level in order to successfully obtain employment in a commercial kitchen, restaurant, camp setting, or an institutional setting, such as a hospital or retirement home. This could be a first step in your culinary career!
Dates: Oct. 23 - Nov. 24, 2023
Time: Mon-Fri, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Fee: $3,950
Food Sovereignty Micro-Credential • XFOO 0510
Are you interested in learning skills to improve access to locally grown food and how to develop a Food Sovereignty work plan for your community? This course will give you the skills to build a Food Sovereignty program using the community development approach.During this course, you will:
- Learn about hosting a learning circle
- Explore the various successful food action projects
- Develop a proposal
- Develop a work plan
- Secure funding while understanding the importance of partnerships and communications
- Develop practical skills in vegetable and greenhouse production using regenerative agriculture principles
This 3-week course will be delivered remotely through video conference in Sept/Oct, with 2 additional weeks of practicum during September 2023.
For more information about this program see the Food Sovereignty program poster and schedule.
Start date: Sept. 11, 2023
Fee: $1,450
Management Skills for Supervisors
This course is a three-part certificate program for all supervisory levels. Managers are offered hands-on training and experience to equip them with the necessary skills and tools required to be an effective manager. These courses will be delivered virtually and fully instructor led.
Topics include:
- Communicating Effectively and Persuasively in a Team Environment
- Recognizing a Win-lose Situation
- Handling Job Related Problems
- Giving Effective Feedback
- Enhancing Interviewing Techniques
- Workplace Rumors
- Conducting a Coaching Session
- Making Quality Decisions
- Improving Relationships
- Building Consensus
Part 1 - Interpersonal Skills • XWRK 0490
This workshop will:
- Sharpen your decision-making skills
- Improve and enhance your relationships with others
- Aid in developing effective and persuasive communications
- Enhance your interviewing techniques
- Provide experiences in handling job-related problems
- Hone your communication skills to handle conflict situations
Course Duration: 24 online learning hours in 8 afternoon classes
Dates: Sep 18 - 21, 2023
and Sep 25 - 28, 2023
Times: Mon - Thurs, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. (for 2 weeks)
Fee: $625
Part 2 - Team Building Skills • XWRK 0492
This workshop will:
- Provide practical techniques to motivate others
- Determine your preferred leadership style, give you practice using it, and help develop increased flexibility
- Promote useful techniques for leading and participating in meetings
- Provide group situations for focusing on leadership motivations and team building
- Sharpen your skills to cope with power shifts in organizations
Course Duration: 24 online learning hours in 8 afternoon classes
Dates: Oct 10 - 13, 2023
and Oct 16 - 19, 2023
Times: First week: Tues - Fri, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Second week: Mon - Thurs, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Fee: $625
Part 3 - Administrative Skills • XWRK 0494
This workshop will:
- Provide practical techniques to manage your job and delegate effectively
- Outline a comprehensive and flexible system of performance analysis and appraisal
- Identify your time-wasters and give you ideas on how to eliminate them
- Provide experiences in instruction and performance appraisal interviewing
- Give you tips to manage change
Course Duration: 24 online learning hours in 8 afternoon classes
Dates: Oct 30 - Nov 2, 2023
and Nov 6 - 9, 2023
Times: Mon - Thurs, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. (for 2 weeks)
Fee: $625
Meeting Procedures and Minute Taking • XWRK 0420
This two-part course will be delivered as a live, instructor-led session online.
Meetings are an important part of a group decision-making process, with minute taking as a record of the group’s decisions and action items. It is vital to any business that they are clear, concise, and accurate. This seminar helps participants to understand their responsibilities as Minute Takers, to work effectively, and to produce agendas and minutes in a variety of styles – formal, informal, and action.
Participants will participate in a mock meeting to gain a practical understanding of their roles and to practice taking accurate notes and producing correct minutes.
Course Duration: 15 online learning hours in 6 evening classes
Dates: To be announced
Times: Tues - Thurs, 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. (for 2 weeks)
Fee: $349
Proposal Writing • XWRK 0940
Non-profits are increasingly being required to do more with less, and competition over limited resources can be challenging. Discovering new funding sources and writing strong proposals to secure those funds are vital in creating the diversified revenue bases organizations need to grow and thrive.
TRU is hosting a two-day proposal writing course that will give you a variety of skills and resources to assist in identifying potential funders and creating compelling proposals. This course is Live stream format.
- Different types of proposals
- Funding sources and prospect research
- Request for proposals
- Preparing to write
- Writing style and grammar
- Major components of a proposal
- Executive summary
- Problem statement
- Mission/goals/objectives
- Technical section
- Project team/relevant experience
- Project budget
- Evaluation Plan
- Appendices – what to include and what not to include
- Proposal writing tips
- Staying organized
Dates: To be announced
Times: To be announced
Fee: $295
Stepping up to Supervision • XMSK 0930
Stepping Up to Supervision helps bridge the gap between working as a frontline employee and stepping up to lead the team. There is a gap in knowledge and experience that prevents many employees from moving to the next step in their career. This course addresses that gap and provides the knowledge and skills necessary to lead a team effectively and competently. A recent study showed that 58% of managers said they did not receive any management training. Stepping Up to Supervision introduces and explains key concepts and skills that enable a qualified employee to effectively move up to a position as a front-line supervisor. It discusses the mindset and skills necessary to make the move from employee to supervisor, improve engagement of employees, and develop strategies for continuing improvement.
Course Duration: 15 online learning hours in 5 afternoon classes
Dates: Sep 11 - 15, 2023
Times: Mon - Fri, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Fee: $450
SuperHost™ Foundations of Service Quality (Customer Service Training)
No matter what sector your business is in, customer service matters. A bad customer encounter will end up on social media and hurt your bottom line – likewise, people will
remember a positive experience, bringing them back as customers and boosting your brand through word of mouth and high ratings.
This course is a practical introduction to basic customer service skills, including:
- Communication etiquette and best practices
- Business case and return on investment (ROI)
- Teamwork, service recovery, and problem-solving
Ways SuperHost can help your business:
- Ensure customer satisfaction and create brand loyalty
- Increase employees’ confidence and skills
- Support your staff’s professional development
- Create a happier, more harmonious workplace
- Increase net promoter score and boost your bottom line
Course Duration: 7 hours
Contact us at 250-392-8010 or wlcontinuingstudies@tru.ca if you would like to schedule this course for your organization.
SuperHost™ is a registered trademark of go2 Tourism HR Society. Used under license.
The following professional development classes are now delivered in an interactive live-stream format:
- Management Skills for Supervisors
- Meeting Procedures and Minute Taking
- Proposal Writing
- Stepping up to Supervision
We offer top-of-the-line training for business and leadership development which combines a convenient and flexible learning format, experienced and caring instructors, and a curriculum designed for those wanting to advance in the workplace. If you require access to a computer, please contact us to make arrangements.
Similar to the in-class workshops, LIVE STREAM workshops are delivered using a virtual platform where the instructor is online and leads the class providing the same coverage that students would have received attending in person. The instructor provides lectures, gives students exercises to reinforce the learning, answers questions, elaborates on topics covered, and facilitates class discussions/ breakout sessions. Students receive all course materials before classes start and are able to follow along the course delivery with their materials. Students should register at least 5 days before class starts to receive course materials.
Many students really like this format. It allows participants to take the training from the comfort of their homes, office, and many other locations. It eliminates the need for travel and allows them to make better use of their availability.
Contact Community Education and Workforce Development at 250-392-8010 or email wlcontinuingstudies@tru.ca to have your name placed on an interest list for upcoming course information.
