Adult Learners at Penn State Berks

Continuing Education for Adult Learners

Meet the 3D Printing Instructor

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With the Introduction to 3D Printing course beginning soon in Reading, PA (March 17th to be exact) I thought I would share a little information on our Instructor, Joseph Sinclair.

Joseph Sinclair - 3D Printing Instructor

Joe founded Solid Dynamics, LLC in 2014 and it is now one of the premier rapid prototyping firms in central Pennsylvania. The company can help you design, engineer and manufacture incredible prototypes.

Joe earned two Bachelor degrees – Nuclear Engineering and Mechanical Engineering from Penn State and is currently pursuing his Master of Engineering in Additive Manufacturing and Design through Penn State World Campus.

We sat down with Joe and asked him about his experience in building his company while still in college:

Are there any obstacles you faced with starting a business in this field, and how did you overcome these challenges?

Simply put, yes. The primary problem I faced was overcoming the doubts of clients and business partners brought on by my youth. I started my company when I was 20 so many people we worked with were skeptical of our ability to do something engineers with 15 years of experience were doing.

What were the challenges you faced being both an entrepreneur and a student at the same time?

The challenges that face a young entrepreneur can be as simple as acquiring customers or as difficult as letting an employee go. These were certainly challenges I faced along the road however the biggest challenge I personally faced, while juggling school and a company, had nothing to do with school or my companies but rather with the relationships I had with those I cared about. For someone very analytical it is easy to succeed in academic and business settings but they have a tendency to falter when it comes to maintaining relationships. If there is anything to be taken away from my personal journey, it is to never let your business get in the way of personal relationships, after all they are the ones to help you get back up when you fail.

As you can see Joe has an extensive background and passion for additive manufacturing which he clearly displays while teaching. We hope to see you at his upcoming class!

Positions Available – January 2018

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It seems as though some of our certificate programs are making quite a name for themselves. We’ve received a few requests from mostly local companies interested in employees who have obtained certain skills taught in some of our programs. Today, I am going to share some openings for students who graduated from the 2D/3D CAD Certificate and the Construction Management Certificate.

Positions Available for Certificate Students

Fabrication Cost Estimator:

– Review customer drawings and specifications to prepare material and labor cost estimates
-Prepare request for quotations for outside suppliers
-Interface with inside sales, engineering, programming and manufacturing departments
Qualifications
-HS Diploma or equivalent
-Ability to read blue prints and drawings. CAD Experience a plus
-Quick learner with mechanical and spatial aptitude
-Detail oriented with good math and computer skills
Others
Excellent work environment in modern climate controlled facility.   Excellent wages based on experience and excellent benefits
Learn more: Yanira Baez-Medina
Professional Placement/Direct Hire Recruiter
Spherion Staffing Services
4 Park Plaza Suite 300, Wyomissing, PA 19610
Recruiting and Staffing Excellence
Mobile 610.533.3336
www.spherion.com

Technical Support:

Summary

Prepares clear, complete and accurate working plans and detail drawings from rough or detailed sketches or notes by performing the following duties.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

  • Read blueprints
  • Analyze load development
  • Produce layout drawing using design software
  • Communicate with customers, architects and builders
  • Prepare quotes
  • Update Sharepoint
  • Miscellaneous projects as assigned

Contact Erica at els5014@psu.edu for the full job description.

Structural Steel Detailer:

A Steel detailer prepares detailed plans, drawings and other documents for the manufacture and erection of steel members (columns, beams, braces, trusses, stairs, handrails, joists, metal decking, etc.) used in the construction of buildings, bridges, industrial plants, and nonbuilding structures. We use a 3-D modeling program called SDS/2 and we are willing to train an individual with an interest in working in the steel industry.

Contact Erica at els5014@psu.edu for more information.

Hello 2018!

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I can’t believe I’m writing about the spring semester of 2018! Temps are frigid with little relief in sight, but if you work on a college campus spring semester starts next week. There is still time to get into classes so check out what is available, and try to think warm, happy thoughts.

2018

  • PMP Exam Prep Webinar – January 8th at 12:15pm; please REGISTER
  • Decision Making (Leadership Devel. Cert.) – January 8th at 6:30pm; please REGISTER
  • Construction Project Management – January 9th at 6:30pm; please REGISTER
  • Foundation of Supply Management – January 17th at 6:30pm; please REGISTER by Jan. 10th
    • This course is available through the Abington, Berks, Fayette, Mont Alto and Schuylkill campuses.
  • PLC Loop Control – January 22nd at 6pm; please REGISTER
  • 2D with AutoCad – January 22nd at 6:30pm; please REGISTER
  • Advanced 3D with SolidWorks – January 24th at 6:30pm; please REGISTER
  • PMP Exam Prep Course – February 5th at 6:30pm online via video; please REGISTER
    • This course is available through the Abington, Berks, Hazleton and Mont Alto campuses.

Position yourself for a big career move with PMP® Certification.

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Establish yourself as a globally-recognized project manager by earning the most sought-after credential in the profession: Project Management Professional (PMP)®.  PMP certification is a proven way to enhance your resume, elevate your career potential, and boost your earnings.

There are even many companies that are starting to require or more often encourage employees to earn their PMP® certification. Some benefits include: 

  • Earn a higher salary: According to PMI®, PMP credential holders can earn upward of US$20,000* more annually than non-credentialed jobholders.
  • Earn a prestigious certification recognized around the globe.
  • Build skills and knowledge that are transferable between industries, market segments and geographic locations.
  • Gain an advantage over non-certified project managers.
  • Prove your project management knowledge, commitment, and experience.
  • Join a global network of over 793,000 PMP credential holders.

Learn more about PMP certification, prerequisites and exam at www.PMI.org.

Penn State Berks has partnered with Certwise™ to provide comprehensive materials and review programs to prepare students in the Reading, PA area to pass the PMP® Exam. On March 26, 2018 the PMP® Exam will change to align with the PMBOK® Guide – Sixth Edition. We’ll be ready for our next course which starts on February 5, 2018 with updated materials including:

Comprehensive Reading Materials

Study with three printed books containing over 650 pages of content.  Reading materials provide an in-depth exploration of the five knowledge domains tested on the PMP exam and include a glossary of key PMP terminology and progress check questions.

Interactive Online Study Tools

  • Pre-test evaluates initial knowledge and identifies topics requiring intensive study.
  • SmartStudy™ tools help you build a customized study plan.
  • Chapter Quizzes test comprehension, retention, and ability to apply concepts.
  • Process Group Quizzes test comprehension by domain area.
  • Flashcards offer review of important key terms and definitions.
  • Post-test gauges knowledge gained and areas that require further study.
  • PMP Practice Exam helps build confidence with a timed test to get you ready for the actual exam.
  • Progress Report tracks your activities and scores
  • Resource Center provides helpful test-taking tips, PMP exam resources, feedback links, and more.

If you’d like to learn more about the program and/or certification consider attending an upcoming webinar with our instructor. To be notified when the webinars are scheduled please contact Erica Kunkel at els5014@psu.edu.

*Source: PMI’s Earning Power: Project Management Salary Survey—Ninth Edition

PMI, PMP, and PMBOK are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.

PLC Certificate for Industry

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Let’s get ready to advance! Professional certificate programs are important in any career to advance to a new job, a new position, or even better pay. Penn State Berks offers several certificate programs for professionals, including a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) for industry certification.

Get Ahead in Your Career

This certificate program is for any automation-related engineer, such as Process Engineers, Chemical Engineers, Electrical Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, or Technicians (Electrical or Mechanical) interested in becoming professionally certified to work with Allen-Bradley PLCs and Programmable Logic Controllers with RSLogix software. PLC is widely used to control industrial machinery, digital displays and circuitry and sensors in the industrial setting.  Most often, PLC is used for industrial electromechanical processes, such as control of machinery on factory assembly lines, amusement rides, or light fixtures. PLCs are used in many machines, in many industries.

The concepts taught in the Penn State Berks’ certificate program also apply to the PLCs of other manufacturers, too.

PLC classes are offered Tuesdays beginning in September 2017 through May 2018. Students will learn about PLC basics, ControlLogix, PanelView, Loop Control, Digital Drives, and continue into advanced concepts to go to the next level of understanding Allen-Bradley PLCs, SLC-500 Programmable Logix Controllers, and CompactLogix Controllers.

Getting a certification in a technical field will almost certainly advance your career. Whether to a new job with a new company, or within your own department.

For more information on the PLC Certificate for Industry contact Erica Kunkel, Education Program Associate, at 610-396-6221, or via email at els5014@psu.edu.

Penn State Berks Practical Nursing Certificate Program

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You’ve decided on a career in the health care industry and nursing! Congratulations, you will have a lifetime of rewarding experiences helping in the healing and care of others! But how do you go about it? Do you jump into a four-year bachelor’s program? Or do you enter the field as a licensed practical nursing (LPN) first to gain that experience working directly with patients within 18 months?

Penn State Berks offers a Practical Nurse non-credit certificate program designed to prepare students with the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes essential for practical nursing and prepares students to pass the NCLEX-PN licensing exam.

Practical Nurse at Penn State Berks

Why become a Licensed Practical Nurse?

Becoming an LPN does not take as long as becoming a registered professional nurse. The Penn State Berks program will have students ready for the licensure exam within 18 months through evening and weekend classes. Once students pass the Board of Nursing exam the nursing begins. Students enter the workforce ready to care for patients. To become a registered nurse, a student is required to seek a bachelor’s degree at a four-year college or university.

LPNs have a positive work-life balance. Once LPNs are licensed, they can choose to work shifts (three 12-hour days, followed by a four-day break in between), per diem work (day to day work allowing flexibility and part-time hours), and night shifts (allowing availability during the day for family obligations).

LPNs also have a variety of work environments from which to choose. LPNs are hired in long-term care facilities or nursing homes to work with the disabled and elderly. LPNs may also seek to work in a physician’s office where they work with children and adults alike! Hospitals are another option. LPNs are hired to work in labor and delivery rooms and emergency departments. Home health is another option for LPNs. Exploring all these areas will help you find your fit.

Finally, future employment prospects for LPNs are on the rise. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the need for LPNs will rise 16 percent over time by 2024. Baby boomers are aging and health facilities will need LPNs more than ever.

How can Penn State Berks prepare you? The Practical Nurse Program will prepare students for the National Council Licensure Examination – Practical Nursing (NCLEX – PN) exam. Students will take courses on human anatomy and physiology, practical nursing and clinical hours, basic medical and surgical nursing care, and nursing care of adults and children. The certificate program requires approximately 617 classroom hours and 958 clinical practice hours offering students the experience and knowledge they need to become licensed to be a practical nurse.

Prospective students must pass the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) pre-entrance exam, have a high school diploma or GED, have a personal interview, present a clear criminal background check, current immunization records and obtain CPR certification.

For more information on the LPN certification program at Penn State Berks, contact Elaine Berish at 610-396-6230 or email her at emb1@psu.edu.

A Penn State Business Degree Opens Doors to the Marketplace

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The decision to earning a post-high school degree is difficult. So many disciplines from which to choose. Liberal Arts? Science? Math? Business? In today’s economy, a future student (whether you are a newly graduated high school senior, or an adult learner seeking a first degree) must focus on viability in the job market. A discerning buyer knows that the expense of a college degree must be weighed against future job prospects and salary. Associate and Bachelor degree candidates must set themselves apart in the job market, through educational experiences, internships, and special skill sets found in degree focus areas.

The Penn State Berks Business Degree program meets all of these qualifications. Practically speaking, a Business Degree from Penn State University offers training in all the core business disciplines – management, marketing, finance, supply chain management, and accounting.

The Penn State Berks Business Degree also understands there is a demand in the marketplace for specific business training in the classroom and in the field through internships. The Business Degree focuses on the main core business disciplines, emphasizing collaborative learning, providing opportunities for students to become familiar with unique business environments in our region, and applying the “Penn State Principles” in our relationships with students, faculty, staff, and regional and national business leaders.

Our faculty have published, researched, worked, and studied at many of the top universities in the world and the best companies in the country. Just the Penn State University name alone stands out above many other programs, as many of our students have learned. Through internships and job offers across all business sectors, our graduates know the degree they have earned holds value. Penn State Berks students have earned internships and post-graduate jobs at Exelon, Lockheed Martin, SEI, Vanguard, Wachovia, Merrill Lynch, the Berks Economic Partnership, Waddell & Reed, PPL, the City of Reading, and more.

At Penn State Berks, students can earn an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration, an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Business or a Bachelor of Science in Business. The credit programs are set apart in many ways allowing a full-time student to earn an Associate’s degree in two years or a Bachelor’s degree in four years.

Continuing education students, or as we like to call them, adult learners, can seek a degree at Penn State Berks on a part-time basis, both in the classroom and on-line while seeking a degree on an accelerated schedule. Penn State Berks works to accommodate both work and family schedules for students to earn the degree they need for the next step in their career.

Take your Business Degree to the next level and choose to focus your skills in one of several areas of discipline with the optional 18-credit degree focus. Choose to focus on accounting, financial services, marketing / management, or an individualized option for students seeking to focus on Information Sciences & Technology, Hotel Restaurant Management, professional writing, and more.

A Business Degree from Penn State Berks isn’t just an avenue to a job at a corporation, it’s a vehicle to entrepreneurial opportunities, opening doors to a career, and to satisfaction in your working life.

For more information on the Penn State Berks Accelerated Business Degree, contact the Adult Student Enrollment Coordinator, Solange Israel-Mintz, at 610-396-6222, or via email at BK-AdultStudent@psu.edu.

Organizational Leadership

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In any industry, employees seek job advancement through on-the-job training or educational opportunities. Without this, employees will see stagnant personal growth on the job. Advancement doesn’t just mean an ego boost and more responsibilities, it means personal growth, a chance to lead others, and more importantly better pay and benefits.

Penn State Berks offers its adult learners a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership. This liberal arts education offers adult learners the opportunity to seek educational advancement in any industry – technology, science or business – with a focus on complex social, cultural, and organizational issues facing any manager or administrator in any industry in the corporate world.

The Organizational Leadership program is designed for adult learners seeking to expand professional horizons and prepares students to build practical work skills that can be used as a manager or administrator in critical thinking, decision-making, program solving, and team building.

A BS in Organizational Leadership will provide advancement in any area, including as an Administrative Services Manager, Benefits Administrator, Branch Manager, Budget Analyst, Contract Administrator, Customer Service Manager, and more.

The degree will help students understand the roles and functions of leadership in any organization; articulate theoretical and empirical foundations for different approaches to leadership; show intellectual and behavioral skills useful in the execution of business tasks and management relationships, understand the social processes used in the exercise of influence in the corporate world, and bring a global perspective to leadership skills.

The degree program requires a minimum of 123-credits in various business, social science, and leadership courses, as well as the ability to explore conflict management, research methods, motivation, and ethics.

Certificate Program

However, if you are not ready for a full degree program, Penn State Berks also offers adult learners a certificate program in Foundations of Employment Relations & Leadership. This 12-credit certificate can be completed in one academic year and allows adult learners to meet one evening a week combined with online learning components.

This certificate program will increase leadership and management skills while gaining skills necessary for effective leadership. Students will also gain specialized knowledge on workplace and employment issues. The certificate program isn’t a degree, but it is designed to provide adult learners already in the workplace with skills meant to advance your career and seek that next level of leadership.

Certificate program classes include Introduction to Leadership, Employment Relations, Labor Relations in the Public Sector, and Collective Decision Making. All these courses are designed to ensure a better understanding of any organization and its leadership components.

For more information on the Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Leadership, or the 12-credit certification program, please contact Solange Israel-Mintz at BK-AdultStudent@psu.edu, or call 610-396-6222.

Introduction to Java Programming

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Ever wondered if you are meant to be a computer coder?

Are you a problem solver? Do you have a passion for strategy games? Do you have a musical mind or a talent for winning debates? Do you love creating things? Are you a people person and a team player? Self-motivated? Are you a lover of technology and would you like to learn more about computer theory?

Coding Bootcamp Summer 2017

Then maybe coding might be the career choice for you!

Penn State Berks is offering a Coding Class this summer session on Monday and Wednesday evenings from June 26 – August 2.

The business world needs experienced and properly trained computer coders more than ever before. During the Coding Class, students will start with an introduction to concepts in Java and then step into object oriented programming in Java focusing on the basics of computational thinking, including design patterns, and Junit testing. Students will experience real-world applications of the programming concepts learned throughout the program from some of the top professors and teachers in their areas.

Adding experience and training in coding isn’t just for computer scientists, or IST professionals. Adding Java coding experience to your resume if you are working in science, biology, engineering, or business is an added plus for any job applicant.

Contact Erica Kunkel, Educational Program Associate at Penn State Berks, at 610-396-6221, or via email at els5014@psu.edu, to schedule this boot camp class.

Adult Learner Information Session Available

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Penn State Berks is hosting an Adult Student Information Session on its campus on July 10, 2017 at 6 pm. This session will provide comprehensive information regarding its 20 degree programs, accelerated options, degree completion and more.

Adult Learner Info Session

Penn State Berks’ evening and online programs provide a hybrid method for adults to start, or finish, their college education. People interested in these programs are typically adults who have taken 45-60 college credits, but left school to raise a family, serve in the military, or to earn needed money.

What’s great about Penn State Berks’ adult continuing education program is that it doesn’t interfere with your work or family life. The hybrid concept – one night per week in class on campus, and online courses in between – is what makes this program work for adults needing to work full-time, tend to a family, and complete their degrees.

Whether you are seeking a first degree, completing a degree started before life got in the way, or seeking an advanced degree in your current profession, or a new career, Penn State Berks offers the flexibility, scholarship opportunities, and variety of programs and courses, to any adult learner.

The Penn State Berks evening study program is specifically designed for working adults who want to complete a degree on a part-time basis without career interruption, or an accelerated degree program in business to finish a partially completed four-year degree, or an associate’s degree.

There has never been a time where the need, and desire, for continuing education for adults has been greater than now. A changing, fast-paced economy requires adults of all ages to stay focused on improving, honing, or learning new skills to stay ahead in a current career or to start a completely new career.

Courses to complete, or start, degrees in Business Administration, Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology, Organizational Leadership, Information Sciences Technology, and Nursing, are offered at Penn State Berks.

So, sign up for the Adult Information Session on July 10 by registering HERE.  Take that next step toward life and career advancement.

For more information on the Adult Information Session, or about the continuing education program, please call 610-396-6222.

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