Flagstaff vol. 12, issue 46

              Volume 12 No. 46
ARCHIVES
June 2, 1999
PWDC To Provide Training
Space for CompUSA
CompUSA, a computer store that will
soon open its doors in Newport News, did not
have the adequate space to train its new
employees. That was until May 20, when Jesse
Horner, Project Coordinator ofTraining for
CompUSA, learned about the space available at
the interim site of the Peninsula Workforce
Development Center. A conversation with
PWDC representatives followed by Horner's
visit to the Center's facilities resulted in the
leasing of the bay area space to CompUSA.
From June 7 through June 11, CompUSA
will have approximately 100 employees attend-ing
training sessions at the PWDC located off
Armistead Avenue in Hampton. The company
will provide all the training equipment, includ-ing
cash registers and computers.
According to Ron Chapman, Acting
Director of the Peninsula Workforce Develop-ment
Center, CompUSA representatives were
very pleased with the PWDC's facilities
because they can rent the space on a short-term
basis and it meets their needs. Also, it is
large enough and has adequate facilities to
support their training and the size of their
group. They also liked the PWDC ability to set
up the facility to meet their needs. "Businesses
and other organizations in the community
periodically need space to conduct training or
other projects that cannot be accomodated in
their facilities. This is particularly true for new
or expanding organizations in our commmunity
who do not have their new space yet, but need
to train their employees," said Chapman.
According to Chapman, the leasing of the
space at the PWDC to CompUSA is the first
example of the Peninsula Workforce Develop-ment
Center providing flexible training space to
the business community. In addition, the rental
fees will also provide a source of revenue for the
college.
In addition to CompUSA, other businesses
including Gateway and Canon have rented all the
PWDC's training rooms for the week of June 7.
Employees of the PWDC will be busy ensuring
adequate parking for everyone and scheduling
breaks so that the rest rooms aren't backed up
with long lines. "We will be learning lessons that
will allow us to better manage the use of our
space in the interim center in the near future and
at the permanent center when it is completed in
the year 2000," said Chapman.
The PWDC has already rented training
rooms to Gateway for management training this
summer. Gateway will be using the Center's
facilities for 44 eight-hour sessions between June
1 and August 30. Although most of these training
sessions will be conducted during the daytime,
some will be in the evening for their other shifts
(4 p.m to 1 a.m and 6 p.m. to 3 a.m.)Also, the
Department of Social Services has rented the
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