Page 12 - Work Force July-August 2016

‘I want to go far’
Hectic schedules, studying, course work and added commutes have paid off time and again for CSEA members looking to get ahead through the NYS & CSEA Partnership on Education and Training.
At SUNY Downstate, four CSEA members recently completed an intensive electrical course run by the Partnership, while several members in the Pallisades Parks Local are benefitting from new skills and promotional opportunities.
“I was so proud of them,” said SUNY Downstate Local President Althea Green. “It’s like seeing your children blossom.”
It even inspired Green to research an appropriate gift to mark the occasion; she gave them non-conductive screwdrivers.
The NYS & CSEA Partnership
for Education and Training, a long-time negotiated labor management program, helps ensure the availability of trained workers while offering workers a chance to move up by learning new skills.
The SUNY Downstate members, Stephen Isaac, Rohan Thomas, Kennedy Rogers and Elizabeth Rolston, often traveled two or more hours every Tuesday to Long Island to
take the course, graduating from the
program in May.
“You get into the theory, understand
the math and get hands-on training,” said Thomas, an attendant. “It’s not just running wires. There are a lot of aspects I didn’t know.”
Participants also volunteered on several projects, including one for Habitat for Humanity.
“It was so unique and interactive,” said Isaac, a maintenance assistant.
“It felt great knowing that someone was going to benefit from your services.”
Program graduates must now intern for 400 hours to complete their certification.
“It’s personal for me,” said Rogers, a carpenter. “I like to be grounded in everything.” In fact, Rogers already has a certificate in plumbing and his first trade was masonry.
Housekeeper Elizabeth Rolston was the only woman in the class and also the most seasoned in participating in Partnership courses, completing 24 courses.
“I don’t want to stay stuck in one position,” she said. “I want to go far.”
Parks workers get ahead
Palisades Parks Local member Shawn Helbig had plumbing experience before taking a job at
From left, Rohan Thomas, Kennedy Rogers, Local President Althea Green, and Stephen Isaac with the certificates they earned from the Partnership.
Rockland Lake State Park, but it was a nudge from his CSEA local president that is now yielding career dividends.
Local President Danny Corigiliano encouraged Helbig to consider the Applied Skills Trades Program in plumbing and steamfitting, which Helbig pursued and completed this spring. A seasonal parks worker when he began the course, Helbig has since used his strengthened plumbing
skills to win a promotion to general mechanic/supervisor at Rockland Lake.
“This was an
excellent course. I was
plumbing for about 13
years before coming to
the state. Even though
I knew a lot about
plumbing already, I
learned so much more.
The experience I gained
through the program gave me an edge when I applied for a promotion. I encourage other state CSEA members to take advantage of what is offered through the Partnership. It will definitely improve your skills on the job and is especially helpful if you are trying to get a promotion or get into a permanent title,” Helbig said.
Paul Leahy, a Park Worker 9 at Bear Mountain State Park, worked for Parks for the past 10 years and sees his completion of the Applied Skills Trades Program in carpentry as a stepping stone for career growth.
“The skills I have
learned help me in
my current job, with
special projects. I’m
hoping this will allow
me to eventually go
into a carpentry job
in Parks. The courses
were hands-on, with
them really showing us how to do things instead of just reading out of
a textbook. My union leaders told me about the program and I was glad I was able to take advantage.”
— David Galarza and Jessica Ladlee
Helbig
Summer Webinar Series can help you get ahead
CSEA members employed by New York state, local government agencies and the private sector will
have the opportunity to take webinar classes during July and August as part of the NYS & CSEA Partnership for Education and Training 2016 Summer Webinar Series. Webinars allow members the opportunity to learn from the convenience of their office or home.
The 2016 Summer Webinar Series schedule:
• Study Skills: July 6, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
• Financing Your Education: July 12, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
• Take Control of Your Time: July 14, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
• Internet Research Skills: July 19, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
• Understanding Today’s Computer: July 20, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
• Professional Etiquette in the Digital Age: July 26, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
• Using the Tuition Benefits Program: July 27, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
• Job Etiquette: July 28, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
• Merit System: Examinations and Eligible Lists: Aug. 2, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
• Dealing with Stress: Aug. 2, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
To participate in a webinar, members need access to a phone, computer and Internet connection. Participants access a website to see the instructor’s computer screen and
participate in the training using a telephone.
For more information
A web catalog of the Summer Webinar Series is available on
the Partnership’s website at nyscseapartnership.org. The catalog contains webinar descriptions and an application form that can be downloaded and printed. Members may also register for webinars through the Statewide Learning Management System (SLMS).
For more information about the Summer Webinar Series,
call 518-486-7814 or, for areas outside the Capital Region,
call 1-800-253-4332, or email learning@nyscseapartnership.org.
12
The Work Force
July-August 2016
Leahy