The RANGE Executive Director Dr. Matt Garner Announces Applications for Second Horizons Cohort
The RANGE, led by Executive Director Dr. Matt Garner, Ph.D., is now accepting applications for the second cohort of Horizons, its workforce development program designed to give job seekers the practical skills, tools and connections they need to get hired and succeed on the job.
Following the completion of its first cohort earlier this year, The RANGE has refined the Horizons curriculum around one clear goal: helping participants go from looking for a job to landing one as follows:
Writing a professional resume
Completing job applications
Preparing for job interviews
Developing strong communication skills
Building the soft skills employers value
Understanding workplace expectations
Navigating performance evaluations
Learning the skills needed to succeed and grow once hired
“We learned a lot from our first Horizons cohort, and we took that feedback and redesigned the course," said Matt Garner, Ph.D., Executive Director of The RANGE. “To address feedback from employers, the goal this time is very straightforward. We want people to leave Horizons better prepared to get a job, keep that job, and start building a career right here in the Panhandle.”
The second Horizons cohort will begin September 21 and meet Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The RANGE plans to accept between 12 to 15 participants.
Sage Oil Vac, Austin Hose, Budweiser, Reed Beverage and KT Black are supporting the upcoming cohort and will help connect the classroom experience to the realities of today's workplace. Participants could ultimately find themselves interviewing for available positions with one of those companies.
“That connection to employers is a really important part of what we're building,” said Sherry Clark, Principal Investigator of Workforce Development at The RANGE. “We're not teaching people how to interview for some hypothetical job. We're talking with companies that have real positions to fill and helping our participants develop the skills those employers are actually looking for.”
Clark joined The RANGE this summer and has spent the past several weeks refining Horizons and developing new partnerships for the program. She brings more than 20 years of experience in education, training development and leadership.
By the end of the program, each participant will leave with a professional portfolio that includes an updated resume and other resources they can use immediately in their job search. The curriculum also will place greater emphasis on what happens after someone gets hired, from communicating effectively with supervisors and coworkers to receiving feedback and understanding workplace expectations.
“Getting the offer is a big moment, but it's really just the beginning,” Clark said. “We want our participants to walk into that first day with confidence and understand what's expected of them. If we can help someone get their foot in the door and give them the tools to build from there, we've done something that can have a lasting impact on their career.”
Applications for the second Horizons cohort are now open. Anyone interested can visit www.therange.org/horizons to apply.
