BIZ PLANNING FOR PROFIT: Unlimited Future Inc. will be offering Business Planning for Profit, a 12-hour course that teaches the steps of starting a profitable business and helps students create an action plan. The first night of class is 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 30, at Unlimited Future, 1650 8th Avenue, Huntington. The course will run six Mondays, ending on Oct. 11. This course will cover everything a prospective business owner will need to know. The text for the course is filled with checklists, lists of important questions to ask, worksheets, Internet resource guides and much more.

One of the main focuses of the course is to help people understand how to acquire funding so that they can get their business started the right way. Qualified students who complete this course and have a written business plan will be eligible to apply for a West Virginia State Micro-loan for amounts between $5,000 and $15,000 to help with startup expenses.

Tuition for the course is based on a sliding scale according to income. The lowest income levels pay only $75 for the entire six week course. Full scholarships are available for veterans.

Call 304-697-3007 or enroll online at www.unlimitedfuture.org/courses.php.

COMPUTER BASICS: Goodwill Industries will begin a new seven-week course on "Computer Basics" Monday, Aug. 30. Class will be held each Monday from 6-8 p.m. in Goodwill's Computer Lab at 1005 Virginia Ave., Huntington. Class is limited to 12 students.

The entire course costs $100. The course will cover turning on the computer, mouse practice, terminology, navigation, making file folders, using storage devices, browsing and searching the Internet, e-mail, basics of Microsoft Word processing (2007 version) and a brief overview of typing practice.

For more information or to register, contact Janet Thompson, Career Center Instructor at 304-523-7461.

MICROSOFT WORD 2007: Goodwill offers a class on Microsoft Word, beginning Tuesday, Aug. 31, at 1005 Virginia Ave. The four-week class will be from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesdays. The entire course costs $100 and will include typing and editing text, working with fonts, font colors and sizes, using copy and paste, enhancing documents with clip art and tables, using templates for brochures and fliers, and how to use mail merge to send out letters and to address envelopes. Goodwill offers a fully equipped computer lab, instructional handouts, and a CD-Rom of interactive Word 2007 files and exercises the student can use at home.

For more information, call Janet Thompson, Career Center Coordinator, at 304-523-7461.

HAZARD COMMUNICATION: This one-day seminar will explain the purpose of the Hazard Communication standard, describe the requirements for a written Hazard Communication program, discuss methods for labeling chemicals and other forms of warnings to employees, review how to read a MSDSs, training requirements and explain both employer and employee responsibilities under the Hazard Communication standard. A certificate will be issued following successful completion of the course. The class will be presented from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 14, in Charleston by the West Virginia State Division of Labor in cooperation with the Women's Business & Training Center. The cost is $29 per person and pre-registration is required. To register, call 253-3145 or 800-766-4556 or register online at http://safety.westvirginiawbc.org.

OSHA: An OSHA 10 Hour Course for General Industry is a two-day seminar intended to provide a variety of general industry safety and health training to workers of all levels. Required training will include more than six hours covering many topics. Successful completion will result in the issuance of a certificate and a 10-Hour OSHA card. The class will be presented from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 15-16, in Charleston. This class is presented by the West Virginia State Division of Labor in cooperation with the Women's Business & Training Center. The cost is $49 per person and pre-registration is required. To register call 304-253-3145 or 800-766-4556 or register online at http://safety.westvirginiawbc.org.

MEDICAL OFFICE SKILLS: Goodwill Industries will begin a new, 20-week course of Medical Office Skills Training on Monday, Sept. 13.

The course offers basic academics, math, spelling, English, proofreading, filing and the specialties of medical terminology, medical acronyms, medical billing and coding, Excel, Word, Access, PowerPoint and Outlook 2007 (Basic), and Windows Vista.

Students will have the opportunity to complete an internship as well as job readiness training. Classes will be at 1005 Virginia Ave., Huntington. Qualifying students will receive 12 hours of college credit at Mountwest Community and Technical College upon completion.

Classes meet from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call Janet Thompson, Career Center coordinator, at 304-523-7461.

BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT SKILLS: Goodwill Industries will begin a new, 18-week course of Business Employment Skills Training on Monday, Sept. 13. The course offers basic academics, math, spelling, English, proofreading, filing, Excel, Word, Access, PowerPoint and Outlook 2007 (Basic) and Windows Vista.

Students will have the opportunity to complete an internship as well as job readiness training. Classes will be at 1005 Virginia Ave., Huntington. Qualifying students will receive six hours of college credit at Mountwest Community and Technical College upon completion.

For more information, call Janet Thompson, Career Center Coordinator, at 304-523-7461.

LIFE SKILLS TRAINING: Goodwill Industries, in partnership with the Weed and Seed Program at Barnett Center, is offering a series of workshops designed to teach the skills needed to find a job and earn valuable experience in the process. The series, called "You've Got the Look," will teach how to search and apply for a job, offer interviewing tips, and provide the skills to succeed on the job.

The class will be offered each Monday and Friday from 2-3:30 p.m. and is provided at no cost to the individual.

Any adult 18 or older may enroll for the classes at the Barnett Center, 1524 10th Ave., in Huntington or by contacting the Life Skills Trainer, Staci Green at 304-523-7461 or sgreen@goodwillhunting.org.

If your organization has a seminar or training class you would like listed in this column, please send it to Jean Tarbett Hardiman. Reach her by e-mail at jeant@herald-dispatch.com, send faxes to 304-526-2857 or send mail to The Herald-Dispatch, P.O. Box 2017, Huntington, WV 25720.

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