The Office of Career and Workforce Development, a department that offers training and development courses that prepare participants for the business world, has recently chosen a program manager.

Patti Shields, who was recently appointed as program manager of the office, will look for local business training needs and be responsible for developing more corporate training programs and courses for the department in her position.

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Courses already existing in the department include computer skills training courses, business skills courses, professional development courses, specific career training courses and web- based training courses.

The goals of these are to train participants to be well-informed, capable and cutting-edge business employees for their differing careers.

“We will train direct workforce teams, supervisors and managers starting with leadership development programs,” Shields said.

Previous to this position, Shields owned her own training business in northeast Iowa. Her business specialized in team building, communication skills and supervisory development.

One of her goals for her position and department is to broaden the department’s courses to include more types of business training for different corporate areas and various forms of business.

“Having owned my own training business, I will bring entrepreneurial spirit,” Shields said. “We will do new programs we’ve never done before, and reach business we never have in the past. We will open up our scope here, and train across the board.”

Shields said a perk of her move is that the weather, despite the low temperatures this early spring, is much warmer than back home in Iowa.

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She also sees great prospects for her department, and has a bright outlook on the progress she wants to make in her new position.

“I have worked across the board with all different kinds of businesses, and I see a lot of development here,” Shields said.