The FCCJ Vol. II / Winter 1993 FCCJ's Urban Resource Center will help individuals adapt to the changing work environment, and it will make the area's work force more attractive to potential employers. CenterembodiesspiritofCollege mission p Florida Community College at Jacksonville spent two years learning Northeast Florida's work ow force needs. Now,infull partnership with the private sector and the Jacksonville community, FCCJ's Donald D.Zell Urban Resource Center is open for business. 0 nonesideofthebuilding,itsglass surfacesreflectthefmestsymbolsofa freeenterprisesociety—business, industry,growth,developmentandjobs. On the other side,the building reflects the images oflost opportunity—unemploy- ment,crumbling public housing and inner city decay. Between the polar opposites of wealth and need now stands Florida Community College at Jacksonville's greatestcommit- ment to improving the work force ofNorth- east Florida,the Donald D.Zell Urban Resource Center. FCCJ's Urban Resource Center head- quarters straddles an imaginary fence between urban problems and urban prosperity on the edge ofJacksonville's downtown area. For the unemployed,the Center is a new gate to employment. For the uneducated,it is a new gate to learning. For the underemployed,it is a new gate to advancement. For the untrained,it is a new gate tojob skills. For Northeast Florida,it is a new gate to economic development and new jobs. "Many people mistakenly think that this is for business and industry,"said FCCJ President Charles Spence."This concept was created for the people whocomprise North- east Florida's work force.Obviously,it will help employers develop more capable employees,but its primary mission is to upgrade the education,thejob skills and the job opportunities for individuals." The Urban Resource Center will be successful,Spence said,because ofthe partnership the College has forged with business and industry. "Jacksonville's business community has been a complete partner in developing Urban Resource Center programs.Business leaders have guided us through every decision so that when an individual completes training at the Urban Resource Center,that person will have an excellent chance ofstepping into ajob opportunity in the private sector." Business partners help plan programs Hundredsofbusinessrepresentatives have served on 11 Urban Resource Center task forces in the lasttwo years to define the role the Center will play in work force training. "Because ofthe strategic partnership,it (the Urban Resource Center)should endure very well,"said Terry Morello,director of organization development and planning at AT&T American Transtech and the co- chairperson ofone ofthe Center's 11 program task forces. "Iam very impressed with thethorough- ness ofthe planning and how wellthe programs are coordinated with the building and the hardware.The Center hasaclear vision that gets atthe heart of what we are trying to achieve,which is the overall improvementof the Jacksonville area workforce." The need for several ofthose programs is so great that they have already been imple- mented at FCCJ'scampuses and centers and at business sites throughout the city. This month,however,the Urban Re- source Center will open its doors to its first students with short-term training courses in medical terminology,creative and critical thinking,and teamwork.Training for potential employees of Merrill Lynch's new Jacksonville service center will also be offered at the Urban Resource Center as will a cultural diversity course for Duval County public school teachers. The Center's offerings to the work force will grow as the College installs computers and other equipment. Once it is fully operational,the Center will offer assessment servicesfocusing on customer service,medical office support and clerical training—threejob areas that have been identified as critical to the Jacksonville area economy.The Center has the capacity to assess individuals with computer testing or traditional paper and pencil testing. The Center is also equipped with a large facility for hands-on vocational assessments. Individuals who lack basic academic skills forjobs will be able to learn the skills within the contextofajob environment through the Center's workplace education and work force readiness programs.These individuals will then be directed toward specificjob training programs either at the Urban Resource Center or at the College's other facilities. Once an individual completes training, the Center's JOBNET program will help the individual identify availablejob leads. The Center will offer CAD/CAM training in addition to the programs already offered at the College.The Center will also offer extensive training in business applica- tions software. The Center will have the capability to offer "teletraining"with the instructorlocated atthe Urban Resource Centerand classeslocated wherever a satellite downlink can be established. The Center will also house two elec- tronic classrooms for students and educators to explore ways of using technology to improve and enhance learning. Beyond tomorrow The Urban Resource Center of 1993 was designed to answer work force challenges of the present and the near future. As those challenges change,the Urban Resource Center has the flexibility to change as well. See"Center,"page 3. , OCR Text: The FCCJ Vol. II / Winter 1993 FCCJ's Urban Resource Center will help individuals adapt to the changing work environment, and it will make the area's work force more attractive to potential employers. CenterembodiesspiritofCollege mission p Florida Community College at Jacksonville spent two years learning Northeast Florida's work ow force needs. Now,infull partnership with the private sector and the Jacksonville community, FCCJ's Donald D.Zell Urban Resource Center is open for business. 0 nonesideofthebuilding,itsglass surfacesreflectthefmestsymbolsofa freeenterprisesociety—business, industry,growth,developmentandjobs. On the other side,the building reflects the images oflost opportunity—unemploy- ment,crumbling public housing and inner city decay. Between the polar opposites of wealth and need now stands Florida Community College at Jacksonville's greatestcommit- ment to improving the work force ofNorth- east Florida,the Donald D.Zell Urban Resource Center. FCCJ's Urban Resource Center head- quarters straddles an imaginary fence between urban problems and urban prosperity on the edge ofJacksonville's downtown area. For the unemployed,the Center is a new gate to employment. For the uneducated,it is a new gate to learning. For the underemployed,it is a new gate to advancement. For the untrained,it is a new gate tojob skills. For Northeast Florida,it is a new gate to economic development and new jobs. "Many people mistakenly think that this is for business and industry,"said FCCJ President Charles Spence."This concept was created for the people whocomprise North- east Florida's work force.Obviously,it will help employers develop more capable employees,but its primary mission is to upgrade the education,thejob skills and the job opportunities for individuals." The Urban Resource Center will be successful,Spence said,because ofthe partnership the College has forged with business and industry. "Jacksonville's business community has been a complete partner in developing Urban Resource Center programs.Business leaders have guided us through every decision so that when an individual completes training at the Urban Resource Center,that person will have an excellent chance ofstepping into ajob opportunity in the private sector." Business partners help plan programs Hundredsofbusinessrepresentatives have served on 11 Urban Resource Center task forces in the lasttwo years to define the role the Center will play in work force training. "Because ofthe strategic partnership,it (the Urban Resource Center)should endure very well,"said Terry Morello,director of organization development and planning at AT&T American Transtech and the co- chairperson ofone ofthe Center's 11 program task forces. "Iam very impressed with thethorough- ness ofthe planning and how wellthe programs are coordinated with the building and the hardware.The Center hasaclear vision that gets atthe heart of what we are trying to achieve,which is the overall improvementof the Jacksonville area workforce." The need for several ofthose programs is so great that they have already been imple- mented at FCCJ'scampuses and centers and at business sites throughout the city. This month,however,the Urban Re- source Center will open its doors to its first students with short-term training courses in medical terminology,creative and critical thinking,and teamwork.Training for potential employees of Merrill Lynch's new Jacksonville service center will also be offered at the Urban Resource Center as will a cultural diversity course for Duval County public school teachers. The Center's offerings to the work force will grow as the College installs computers and other equipment. Once it is fully operational,the Center will offer assessment servicesfocusing on customer service,medical office support and clerical training—threejob areas that have been identified as critical to the Jacksonville area economy.The Center has the capacity to assess individuals with computer testing or traditional paper and pencil testing. The Center is also equipped with a large facility for hands-on vocational assessments. Individuals who lack basic academic skills forjobs will be able to learn the skills within the contextofajob environment through the Center's workplace education and work force readiness programs.These individuals will then be directed toward specificjob training programs either at the Urban Resource Center or at the College's other facilities. Once an individual completes training, the Center's JOBNET program will help the individual identify availablejob leads. The Center will offer CAD/CAM training in addition to the programs already offered at the College.The Center will also offer extensive training in business applica- tions software. The Center will have the capability to offer "teletraining"with the instructorlocated atthe Urban Resource Centerand classeslocated wherever a satellite downlink can be established. The Center will also house two elec- tronic classrooms for students and educators to explore ways of using technology to improve and enhance learning. Beyond tomorrow The Urban Resource Center of 1993 was designed to answer work force challenges of the present and the near future. As those challenges change,the Urban Resource Center has the flexibility to change as well. See"Center,"page 3. , Z ArchiveInABox,JAX,FCCJ Spectrum,Scans,1993 Winter,1993 Winter 1 Page 1, 1993 Winter 1 Page 1