By Sarah Beatty
Finding the proper training for your employees - or yourself - can be challenging. Finding that training that fits into your budget and your schedule can be even more challenging.
The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama is working to change this by offering affordable training programs covering a variety of topics. Program topics include Public Speaking, Instagram, Customer Service, Microsoft Office, and more. Director of Education Programs Carolyn Tubbs wants members and non-members alike to know the value of these programs: “Training is not only valuable, but crucial to any company," she says. "The Chamber offers a variety of online and onsite training opportunities that will expand the knowledge base of an employee and assist with improving productivity in the workplace.”
The Chamber’s training programs are priced to be budget-friendly. Some are available for as little as $45, though most cost between $100 and $200. The programs are open to all, meaning your status as a member or non-member won’t impact your ability to participate. Courses are offered both at the Chamber of Commerce’s office and online. This allows trainees the choice between a traditional classroom setting and a self-paced program with flexible scheduling.
In addition to affordable training programs, the Chamber has a number of great partnerships. One partnership, Half-a-Days, pairs the Chamber with Bama at Work. The partnership’s workshops are organized in conjunction with the University of Alabama and held at the Chamber of Commerce’s office, and are open to anyone in the West Alabama region. Mary Patterson, Program Manager with the College of Continuing Studies at the University of Alabama, works with Tubbs to coordinate these training events.
Patterson and Tubbs work together to design training that can benefit everyone in the region. Industry experts and faculty at the University of Alabama teach the programs, which Patterson says provide trainees with “action-learning instruction that can elevate their career or their organization to the next level of success.” Half-a-Days offers several training programs, with topics such as Leadership, Team Building, Supervision, and Conflict Resolution. The College of Continuing Studies at the University even awards continuing education credits and certificates of completion for participating in some of these programs.
"The partnership between the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama and Bama at Work allows us to work together to solve business challenges and elevate careers by providing the best training resources to our community and surrounding areas,” Patterson says. The Chamber’s affordable training programs and the Half-a-Days partnership are accessible to all, offering affordable training to all who are interested.
For more information on the Half-a-Days program, or to find out about the Chamber's other training options, call Carolyn Tubbs at (205) 391-0556. To view online training options, click here.
