Boundless Connections Technology Center in Olean is offering a new certificate program geared toward helping people find focus and develop skills, either for employment or entrepreneurship.
TECH Launch will certify participants, ages 17 and over, have basic technology skills including but not limited to the effective use of Microsoft Office programs, email communications, internet searches and online calendars.
The program also acts as a supportive platform for participants to develop, define and pursue their own goals.
For instance, TECH Launch participant John, 28, did the college track. He took his bachelor’s degree in human relations and joined the workforce, helping other people achieve their goals. Then one day he realized he wasn’t achieving his own goals.
Since joining TECH Launch, he’s found a passion for working on computers and will be pursuing A+ technical support certification with help from Boundless Connections.
“Ever since I got out of college I’ve had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. I now have a more defined goal,†he said. “It’s going to take more time to learn all the ins and outs, but I definitely know more now than I did before.“
Other soft skills developed with TECH Launch will include timeliness, goal-setting and tracking and self-assessment.
Participants meet 9 a.m. to noon every Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. The summer session begins August 5, 2019.
TECH Launch members set their own three-month goals and meet one-on-one with a mentor weekly to assess their progress.
They also receive character development training through the Intro to The Virtues Project, an internationally recognized leadership program.
Members use the TECH Connect Tracking System to log and verify their skills. Participants can also post and send their personal report link to employers along with their résumé.
This initiative is funded in part by a grant from the New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council.
For more information and to join, visit the TECH Launch page, email info@bctechcenter.com or call (585) 376-0099. The program includes membership to the Boundless Connections Technology Center at 160 North Union Street, Olean. Financial assistance and scholarships are available.