MAALAEA
Formerly known as the Visitor Industry Training and Education Center, MCC has kept its 20-year-old program's initials, VITEC, but changed its name to Vital, Innovative Training and Economic Development Center.
The program also is offering scholarships for working people who want to learn to be more skillful at their jobs and/or acquire new skills. In the case of Pamela Hargreaves at Waterfront Restaurant, she wants to do both.
As the restaurant's office manager, she continues a 30-year accounting career, but her job duties have expanded. Now, she takes dinner reservations on the telephone, and she has the added responsibility of making flower arrangements on the restaurant tables.
"Usually accountants are behind the scenes, back in an office somewhere," Hargreaves said. But that's changed, and Hargreaves has found herself doing more than just numbers at her job.
Taking VITEC courses has helped, and as a bonus, Hargreaves became one of 220 students in the last year to benefit from the new $25,000 A&B Foundation Training Bonus program.
The project supports small businesses, entrepreneurs and individuals seeking job training. They enroll in VITEC classes to learn PowerPoint, Photoshop and QuickBooks and, in Hargreaves' case, take "The Outstanding Administrative Assistant" class.
"I thought it was wonderful," Hargreaves said about the course and the A&B Foundation's financial backing.
For three years, Hargreaves has been taking noncredit courses through the VITEC program "because I just like lifelong learning and to always keep your brain active."
Her most recent VITEC courses, which the A&B Foundation subsidized, were specifically geared toward improving her skills and marketability as an office manager.
"It reinforces that you have that knowledge, that practice ingrained in you," Hargreaves said. She's learned to be better at multitasking, such as alternating between talking on the phone and getting computer work done.
VITEC Director Lois Greenwood said her office keeps track of Maui's work force needs and has found that as businesses downsize, employees in a tight job market are being asked to pick up new job functions.
VITEC applied this year's $25,000 A&B Foundation pledge toward scholarships for people trying to improve or acquire new job skills.
The A&B Foundation recently renewed its pledge and will donate $25,000 in 2009.
Foundation President Meredith Ching said A&B is pleased to support small-business owners.
"It takes a lot of commitment and initiative to pursue additional training while running your own business, so we are happy to provide support in the form of 'scholarships' - discounted fees for these courses - not only to small-business owners, but to those involved with nonprofits and professional associations as well," she said.
A booklet on the 2009 VITEC courses will be distributed shortly, and individuals can apply for a training bonus of up to $100 per course for work-related classes in the business/vocational and computer technology area.
If a class fee exceeds $100, the training bonus will pay $100 and the recipient paid the remaining amount of the fee.
Scholarships are small, but meaningful, Greenwood said.
A business can apply for training bonuses for four employees in one year. Small businesses with 100 employees or fewer will be given priority. Scholarships are issued on a first-come, first-served basis.
Individuals, including those who are unemployed, and sole proprietor entrepreneurs, may also apply for one training bonus per year.
For more information, call VITEC registration at 984-3231.
* Claudine San Nicolas can be reached at claudine@mauinews.com.
