Phelps Dodge Chicago Rod Completes First Responder Training

If an unexpected emergency should ever happen, would you and your staff be ready to act? Phelps Dodge is! Their first two groups of employees have just successfully completed their 40 hour, hands-on first responder training. JJC was contracted to provide the development, customization, and instruction for this highly interactive program.

First responders are an integral part of the emergency medical service chain. Though they face many tasks, their mission is to provide initial on-scene care to the sick and injured in the communities they serve. JJC's first responder training emphasizes development of student skills in patient assessment and emergency care procedures, including life-threatening emergencies, injuries to various body parts, emergency childbirth, techniques of moving patients, and more.

"The best defense in an emergency is to be well prepared," said Karen Peck, the lead instructor and program coordinator. "Knowing what to do as well as what not to do during an emergency prevents it from escalating into a tragedy. When seconds count and mean the difference between life and death, you must be ready to act."

JJC's first responder training program is available on site and can educate your staff in such life saving maneuvers as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the Heimlich maneuver, the use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), and First Aid. JJC can also train your staff in the use of fire extinguishers, help design and implement emergency evacuation plans, and offers other OSHA Compliance Courses.

This particular program was designed for Phelps Dodge employees who needed to be trained or cross-trained as a first responder. The skills covered in the program include, but are not limited to, such topics as opening and maintaining an airway; ventilating patients; administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation; providing emergency medical care of simple and multiple system trauma such as controlling hemorrhage, bandaging wounds, manually stabilizing injured extremities; and providing emergency medical care to assist in childbirth and manage general medical complaints, altered mental status, seizures, environmental emergencies, behavioral emergencies and psychological emergencies.

Dale C. Gossett, health and safety Manager for Phelps Dodge, commented, "We have had nothing but positive feedback from the attendees! In fact, we will be scheduling a third group for training."

Peck also added that many great ideas came out of this training. "This is just one more way to show the great people Phelps Dodge Chicago Rod has and that we are committed to One More Zero Day," she said.

For more information on first responder training, contact Bruce Kuzmanich at (815) 280-1512 or e-mail bkuzmani@jjc.edu.

Preserve Your Knowledge for the Future

An expected 77 million baby boomers will retire in this decade, leading to a loss of experienced workers, widespread skill shortages and serious aftereffects on organizations that do not have an action plan to deal with this massive movement.

To combat the problem, organizations should plan for future human resource and skill needs.

One way organizations can deal with the problem is to initiate a training and documentation program that will record the retiree's accumulated knowledge for future employees.

Structured training programs can be designed for retiring workers to instruct their replacements. The documentation portion of the program can be recorded in various media formats such as video, audio or written. The overall program can also be incorporated into job descriptions, training programs or process procedures for internal quality programs and human resource documentations.

Joliet Junior College has assembled a series of seminars that will help organizations start a training and documentation program. The workshops are designed to improve the skills required by an employee to compile and present their product knowledge in an organized and understandable form.

Overview for the New Trainer

This two-day workshop provides the new trainer with a basic understanding of adult instruction including the theory of adult learning and the differences between how children and adults learn.

This seminar also details the proper techniques to use when assembling your training information and when you are instructing in the classroom. Establish training objectives when building your training plan. Sequence your training steps in a logical order. Design a method of evaluation that will indicate if you achieved your training objectives.

Front Line Trainer

Develop the knowledge and skills required to be a successful trainer. Learn to train others in your area of expertise, in an effective manner in a shorter period of time. Select the appropriate training method, ask questions that cause learning to take place, and identify a good learning environment. Appreciate the different personality types and how to work with them. Be able to track and report training progress.

Keep It Positive

Your choice of words can promote positive feelings, encourage customer optimism, and lead to a sale.

Negative words can create fear, uncertainty, and discomfort. Here are some examples of "negative" words and their positive replacements.

Contract - Even though salespeople generally have good associations with this word because it implies a sale, most customers have a negative view of it because it can mean something involving lawyers and court costs. Replace "contract" with "agreement."

Sign - This is unsettling for the same reason as "contract." Many people are concerned about possible hidden obligations they may be assuming. Replace "sign" with "approval." For example, "I just need your approval here."

Cheap - Cheap implies poor quality. Better choices are "lower priced" or "more economical."

No - Avoid saying no to a prospect because it puts a speed bump into the sales process. For those times when you have to say no say, "actually" instead. For example, if a prospect says that your product seems the same as all the others. Your reply is, "Actually, while we can all initially appear the same, there are differences. Let me explain."

For more information, call (815) 280-1423 or e-mail msillar@jjc.edu.

JJC Administrator Thom Price Receives Lifetime Recognition Award

Thom Price (third from the left) holds his Joan Simon Lifetime Achievement Award.

Thom Price, dean of community and economic development at Joliet Junior College, received a lifetime achievement award at a joint conference in Peoria this spring.

The Joan Simon Lifetime Achievement Award is given by the Illinois Community College Economic/Workforce Development Association (ICCEDA) and the Illinois Council for Continuing Education and Training (ICCET). It recognizes an outstanding ICCEDA member who has exhibited exemplary lifetime achievements in the community college business/industry profession either at the state or local level.

Price has been a member of the organization since 1984 and has worked in business, industry and workforce training and education for more than 20 years.

"It's a high compliment. It makes me feel that I've made a difference during my career," Price said.

Price has been involved in many of JJC's community and economic development efforts, including the creation of the Three Rivers Safety Training Center and the Will County Traffic School. He also helped develop several degree programs in areas such as manufacturing and process control and instrumentation technology.

"Thom Price has consistently provided outstanding leadership to Joliet Junior College and the Illinois community college system through his commitment to service and his dedication to assisting the education needs of his constituents," said Preston Morgan, senior director for workforce development for the Illinois Community College Board.

The Illinois Community College Economic/Workforce Development Association is dedicated to supporting economic and workforce development activities in community college districts. The Illinois Council for Continuing Education and Training strives to support continuing educators in Illinois community colleges to enable them to provide the highest quality programs for constituents within their districts.

Corporate and Community Training Department Relocates

Joliet Junior College's Main Campus is the new home of the corporate and community training division

This summer, the Corporate and Community Training department will move from its current location at City Center Campus to the Main Campus. The new offices will be located in the T-Building CED Conference Center. This state-of-theart conference center is also available for meetings, banquets, and training.

The conference center features three professional meeting rooms, which can be converted into one large area, complete with white board and easel, overhead and slide projectors, projection screen, data/video projector, DVD/VCR, podium with microphone, and T1 Internet network connection. The center also has an integrated AV system, which can be controlled in all three rooms from one podium.

Each of the three conference rooms seats up to 30; the entire conference center can accommodate 100 people. The tables and chairs can be easily reconfigured into a variety of seating arrangements at your request. There is also a computer training lab equipped with 18 networked PC computer stations, all connected to the Internet at T1 speeds and available for software training.

Meeting space isn't complete without food. A wide variety of food and beverage services are available through Joliet Junior College's renowned culinary arts staff and students. Choose from fruit, vegetable and cheese trays; assorted deli meats, cheese or sandwiches and pizzas; and pastries, cakes and other desserts. JJC's food service dining room supervisor can create a customized menu for you. The conference center makes an ideal off-site location for any meeting or training event.

Conveniently located on the college's Main Campus at 1215 Houbolt Road in Joliet, the Conference Center is housed in the Arthur G and Vera C. Smith Business and Technology Center. (The first building you see as you enter the campus.) Ample parking is available in front of the building.

For more information or a tour of the conference center, call (815) 280-1429.