Finding a new job can be a challenge, especially if you've been out of the job market for a while or if you are trying to break into a different industry. Greenfield Community College and the Franklin Hampshire Career Center have partnered in offering the Business Careers Program to make this transition easier for students reentering the workforce or for workers who have been laid-off and are trying to find a new job.

The 20-hour a week course has been training students in business writing, business math, customer service and communication skills for the past 10 weeks and will end this week on Friday with a special graduation ceremony. "I see it as a way for GCC to help bring education and training in a variety of ways to the community," said Nancy Bair, director of Workforce Development for GCC.

This is the second time the program has been offered, though the last program was five years ago and only ran for six weeks. This time, Bair said the hope is to make this an annual program. "I am a big supporter of this program," said Nicole Nemec, one of the teachers for the program. "I taught in its original incarnation and have called Nancy every year since in hopes that there would again be funding for it. The students are incredible; it's hard to find such dedicated, hard-working students."

She said the course is not an easy one and, in addition, the students are often dealing with everything else they have to in their lives – looking for work, paying bills and taking care of families. "Every student works hard and many of the students have gone beyond the requirements to challenge themselves with extra work outside the class," Nemec added. "They're quite extraordinary, I think. I am proud of them and am proud to be part of the program."

Sarah Wing, Career Center Coordinator, said her organization has collaborated with GCC for years, most recently by sponsoring students some students entering the Certified Nursing Assistant program, which is offered four times a year. "Greenfield Community College has committed to providing training alternatives to adults who need new skills to enter the workplace," Wing said. She said programs in Northampton and Athol that offered this kind of training closed years ago because of budget cuts, but these services are needed more than ever. "Recently, counselors at the Career Center have noticed an increase in employment opportunities in the fields of bookkeeping, customer service and medical office work," Wing said.

Five people completed the program, which took a commitment of attending classes Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Friday mornings learning job search skills at the Career Center. Graduates can be placed in local businesses as interns after completing the classroom training. The students will celebrate their accomplishments at a graduation ceremony on Friday Dec. 14 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. with their friends and family. "I am hopeful that these students, in the coming months and years, will find the program has had a lasting positive influence on their lives," Nemec said. For more information about this program, please contact Bair at 775-1607. The graduation ceremony will be at GCC's downtown center. It is not open to the general public, but the press is welcome to attend. Please contact Bair for more information.