Skillpoint Alliance

Some Useful Websites from your Friendly CTTC Staff

Skillpoint Alliance — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 20:27:54 +0000

By James Noblitt, CTTC Site Coordinator

As all of you know, the internet can be a great resource to find information, but sometimes finding what you need can be an overwhelming experience. To help with this I have compiled a list of websites that contains lots of useful tools and information that can be helpful to both the new and experienced internet user. Below are links for various websites that I have selected as well as brief descriptions of these websites. Enjoy!

http://quintcareers.com – An excellent source of information for job seekers
http://austin.craigslist.org – Browse job postings, buy or sell items and lots more
http://www.gcflearnfree.org – Online tutorials on a variety of subjects
http://powertyping.com – Online typing exercises
http://www.openoffice.org – Download free software that is compatible with Microsoft office
http://www.indeed.com – An extensive job posting site
http://www.ehow.com – “How to” videos and articles on many topics
http://www.search-cube.com – A fun and visually appealing search engine
http://free.avg.com/us-en/free-antivirus-download – Free download of basic antivirus software
http://wikipedia.org – An online encyclopedia

FIRST® Robotics Grant Opportunities

Skillpoint Alliance — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 21:39:15 +0000

With generous support from Care for Education, an initiative through U.S. FIRST® and the LEGO Foundation, the Technology & Education Executive Council (TEEC) at Skillpoint Alliance is pleased to offer grant opportunities to new FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) teams and new Junior FIRST® LEGO® League (Jr.FLL) teams in select areas of Central Texas for the 2011-12 Food Factor Season and 2011-12 Snack Attack Season.

FLL is an international program that introduces children to the fun experience of solving real-world problems by applying science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)—with the hope that these young people will pursue higher education and explore STEM careers. As part of an annual tournament season, FLL teams design, build, and program robots to complete tasks, develop a research project and presentation on a real-world challenge scientists face, and learn to work in teams and display gracious professionalism™.

Read full article…

Visit the Central Texas FLL homepage for full details.

Gateway: The Playhouse Project to Display Playhouses at The Domain

Skillpoint Alliance — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:43:38 +0000

Gateway: The Playhouse Project is getting geared up to begin its inaugural year this fall and we’re very excited to announce a partnership with the wonderful and generous team at The Domain. The upscale shopping center in North Austin has agreed to let Skillpoint Alliance showcase the completed playhouses that will be auctioned off at the end of the Gateway: The Playhouse Project program year.

Details for the partnership are still being developed and will be announced upon their completion, but we wanted to show some love right away. Thank you Domain Team!

If you aren’t familiar with The Domain, check out their website at http://www.thedomainaustin.com/.

If you haven’t heard about Gateway: The Playhouse Project, visit the program’s homepage at http://www.skillpointalliance.org/gateway/ThePlayhouseProject.
Don’t forget to check out our other great Gateway programs while you’re there.

15th Annual College and Career Expo Approaching!

Skillpoint Alliance — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 16:26:49 +0000

Since its inception in 1996, Skillpoint Alliance’s College and Career Expo has grown to serve over 3,000 high school juniors and seniors. Participating students have the opportunity to meet with industry professionals and college recruiters, and they are provided with many resources needed to prepare themselves for career and college readiness.The 2011 College and Career Expo will be Thursday, October 6, 2011, from 9am-1pm at the Palmer Events Center. Mark your calendars!

Students interested in attending college will receive information about college applications, financial aid, and attendance, and a special focus is given to low-income/first generation students. By providing them with resources and information, educators at the College and Career expo give students a boost in college preparations, and get them on the right track to beginning a productive career in the Austin area.

Students also have the opportunity to visit with employers and industry professionals, who serve as career role models by showcasing businesses and services and guiding the interests of student attendees to help them decide on potential career paths they want to take. Industry, government, education, and non-profit representatives are invited to help students explore potential Central Texas career prospects that match their strengths and interests. By starting students on their career paths early, Skillpoint Alliance helps ensure a trained, skilled workforce for the Central Texas businesses of the future.

Sponsors
Skillpoint is excited to be hosting the 15th annual College and Career Expo, and we are still looking for sponsors! Sponsors can sign up by visiting our website, and more information can be found here. We’d also like to thank our primary sponsor, The Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, for their continued support of the College and Career Expo. Whether you are a student, educator, or employer, we hope to see you at the Palmer Events Center on October 6, where you can help us build a better Austin workforce.

Gateway Programs

Skillpoint Alliance — Thu, 19 May 2011 19:24:57 +0000

If you are aware of who Skillpoint Alliance is, it is likely that you have heard about our Gateway programs. These rapid employment training programs provide an opportunity for people who need a second chance in the workforce and don’t know where to go or how to get started, whether it be people who made a mistake and spent time in jail, or a mother that never entered the workforce and is looking to do so now. I have been at Skillpoint Alliance for almost 2 years now and of all the great programs and events we are a part of, there is nothing more inspiring than seeing these students and their families at a graduation ceremony, with the realization in front of them that they have begun the process of turning their lives around. It is very emotional and very uplifting. We all need a second chance sometimes and it is an honor to be part of an organization that is there to help provide that opportunity.

Lately, our Gateway programs have been expanding and working overtime, meeting a rising demand for training and rapid employment in today’s workforce. (Note to job seekers: Gateway programs provide training, not job placement–though we do try to help with that too) I would like to use this space today to recognize our Gateway staff for all of their hard work and invite any and all of our friends here in Central Texas to come out and join us for one of the many Gateway graduations taking place this fall. All are welcome.

To find out more about how to join Gateway or to attend a graduation, visit www.skillpointalliance.org/gateway or give our offices a call at (512)323-6773 ext. 123. We’d be more than happy to provide you with the information you seek in regards to these wonderful programs.

2011 Summer Educator Institutes are open for registration now! If you are an educator who wants to connect with Central Texas industry members and discover great new tools and information that will help you prepare your students for the high-demand jobs of our region, then our Educator Institutes are for you. Classes are short, fun, informative, and reasonably priced for educators. Visit our registration page at www.skillpointalliance.org/EducatorInstitutes today to sign up. For more questions, contact Carol Wright at cwright@skillpointalliance.org. We hope to see you there!

Keep Central Texas Strong

Skillpoint Alliance — Fri, 13 May 2011 15:51:26 +0000

Like many organizations, Skillpoint Alliance has been feeling the lingering effects of the economic recession of late. Given our mission, now is the most important time for our organization to be strong and provide the programs and skills that Central Texans need to continue their education and stay viable in the workforce. In light of this, we recently reached out to the community through an event called ‘Keep Central Texas Strong’. This was a fund drive that culminated in a concert at Stubb’s BBQ on Monday, May 9th. It was a great event that allowed us to get together with all of our friends and sponsors while supporting our programs and I believe that everybody had a very good time. We’d like to thank Jonathan Terrell, a.k.a. ‘The Heartache Tycoon’, who provided the musical stylings, as well as all of our friends and sponsors who support our organization–through this event and many others. Special thanks to AMD, who was the top donor of the Keep Central Texas Strong campaign. Thank you all!

To view more information on Keep Central Texas Strong, visit www.skillpointalliance.org/KeepCentralTexasStrong

If you would like to make a donation to Skillpoint Alliance, please visit www.skillpointalliance.org/donate

Jonathan Terrell onstage at Stubb's during Keep Central Texas Strong

Gateway Construction Featured on CNN

Skillpoint Alliance — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:23:34 +0000

Each month, from now until August, the CNN Express is hitting the road with correspondent Tom Foreman, seeking out tales of how people are Building Up America despite the economic hard times.

First stop: Texas. Some economists have predicted that the corridor from Austin to San Antonio is on the leading edge of a nationwide recovery. Tom looks to find out why, chatting with local officials, business owners, and citizens. One featured stop is the Skillpoint Alliance Gateway Construction program at the ACC Riverside campus.

Tom’s Building Up America stories from Texas are featured on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360, American Morning, Situation Room, and other shows. In addition, expanded coverage of the trip will be available on CNN.com.

This post has been having technical difficulties, so if the video fails to pop up, you can view it here instead: http://www.youtube.com/user/SkillpointAustin#p/f/15/wxIFfDyYWTY

Partner Post: Girlstart to Graduate First Project IT Girl class!

Brittany Johnson — Thu, 07 May 2009 20:03:25 +0000

Girlstart, an Austin non-profit founded in 1997 to empower girls to excel in math, science, and technology, is proud to announce the first Project IT Girl graduation on May 22 from 6 to 9 pm at Austin City Hall.

Project IT Girl is an exclusive program for 60 high school girls throughout Austin, Texas to learn how to change the world through the use of Information Technology! Program participants apply technology to global topics they are passionate about to educate and persuade their peers.

Girlstart has enrolled 60 high school girls for this three year program. Participants remain in the program from their sophomore year of high school through their high school graduation in 2009. All participants are required to attend 120 hours of Girlstart meetings each year for three years and complete evaluation activities. Program meetings are held at Austin Community College campuses and the Girlstart Tech Center.

Year One: Project IT Girl participants created public service announcements to educate their peers about global issues such as “Animal Welfare”, “Teen Suicide, and “AIDS/HIV Awareness.”

Year Two: Project IT Girl participants created educational games using Python to be submitted to the One Laptop per Child for possible distribution to schools around the world!

Year Three: Project IT Girl participants will learn critical leadership skills, serve their community, and prepare for college all while using HTML and CSS to create personal online portfolios showcasing their academic and professional accomplishments. The IT Girls will also participate in a semester-long technology internship, gaining valuable hands-on experience to add to their resumes.

The girls will present their final projects to C3 Presents and Motorola at 6 pm and will graduate at 7:30. The ceremony will be followed by an hors d’oeuvres reception.

To RSVP for this event, please email first and last name to rsvp@girlstart.org with “May 22, 2009” in the subject line.

Parking for this event is free. The entrance to the garage is on Lavaca Street on the east side of City Hall. Upon entering the garage, look for signs directing you to the “public” parking area. Take your parking ticket inside to be validated.

Skillpoint’s Infectious Disease Plan

Brittany Johnson — Tue, 05 May 2009 20:03:23 +0000

Although the North American H1N1 flu pandemic appears to be a mild strain and its threat continues to subside, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that organizations not shelve their contingency plans just yet as new flu strains tend to come in waves and the future of the virus cannot be projected with any accuracy.

A case of North American H1N1 was confirmed yesterday at a North Austin pre-k. While we do not think the virus will be a threat to our programs and normal activities, please read the following plan because of the proximity of the confirmed case to Skillpoint locations and CTTC’s campus partnership with Austin Independent School District (AISD).

In the event of AISD campus closures of our CTTC locations, CTTC will comply with AISD policy and will not hold CTTC classes in the evenings at these campuses. Instead, CTTC will try to accommodate the students of cancelled classes at the downtown location. We will add classes in the afternoons and evenings to ensure that the services you depend upon remain available to you, should any schedule changes become necessary.

We will spray our labs with disinfectant before classes. We will also hire additional custodial staff as necessary.

We ask that if you experience flu-like symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, chills, a dry cough, sneezing, vomiting or diarrhea to please stay home.

CTTC will continue to monitor the situation and will post any campus closures on our Website, www.skillpointalliance.org and our blog, www.skillpointalliance.wordpress.com.

The New Digital Divide: Access to High-Speed Internet Necessary but Unobtainable

Brittany Johnson — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:27:33 +0000

While the “digital divide” of the 1990s has abated as more Americans own their own computer, a new digital divide threatens the rural and low-income to middle-class populations in the US.

The new divide separates the high-speed Internet connection haves from the have-nots. Some have-nots simply cannot afford the expense of high-speed Internet. According to the Communications Workers of America (CWA), “in the U.S., DSL generally reaches speeds of up to 1.5 – 3.0 megabytes per second (mbps) at a price averaging $30-$50 per month while cable modems generally reach speeds of 3-5 mbps for $40-$50 per month.” By contrast, “in Japan, an average connection with a speed of 26 mbps costs about $22 per month.” The expense of Internet, an invaluable resource, is becoming a luxury for many American families due to job uncertainty or unemployment who are forced to cancel subscriptions.

Another group of have-nots simply do not live in an area serviced by high-speed Internet providers. Typically, rural areas fare the worst. The CWA reported that “only 17% of adults in rural areas subscribe to high speed Internet compared to 31% in urban and 30% in suburban areas.” While it may seem like these rural areas are far-flung, out-of-the-way places, one may be surprised that this issue hits close to home. Bastrop, only an hour east of Austin, does not receive any broadband services.

So why does this matter? The Website SpeedMatters.org explains it well.

“High speed Internet is essential for economic growth and global competitiveness. The United States – the country that invented the Internet – has fallen from 1st to 15th in high-speed Internet penetration. High-tech innovation, job growth, telemedicine, distance learning, rural development, public safety, and e-government require truly high-speed, universal networks.”
Skillpoint Alliance and CTTC agree with SpeedMatters.org. The US needs national, universal high-speed Internet access. It is time to replace the hodgepodge networks built by obscure government programs and private service providers.

Please take time to learn more about this issue. Speedmatters.org is a wonderful resource to learn why this is so important and how to get involved, and you can read about how broadband access can bring job growth to rural towns in a recent article in The Washington Post.