Business Information Worker (BIW)—Quick Start

The Business Information Worker (BIW)—Quick Start Foundational Skills Certificate program is designed to prepare students for positions as office and administrative support workers who work closely with management in business, professional, educational, or industrial offices. Students having successfully completed the BIW Quick Start coursework will have gained marketable skills required of the BIW—a California Community Colleges Pathway to Success initiative that leads to job readiness for in-demand occupations and prepares students for continued study leading to more advanced certificates or a degree. 

The courses in this program are offered annually and non-sequentially. Enrollment in these individual courses ranges from approximately 7 to 12 students. It should be noted that Lake Tahoe Community College is a small rural college (average course enrollments across all disciplines is 15 students) and projected program enrollments and completers are proportional to overall college size and enrollment. Approximately 8 students are projected to complete the low-unit Certificate of Achievement annually.  Current planning to offer the certificate in the Rising Scholars Program and Dual Enrollment should increase the number of students completing the low-unit Certificate of Achievement. 

CTE:

Office and administrative support positions are responsible for a variety of administrative and clerical duties necessary to run an organization efficiently. They serve as an information manager for an office, organize and maintain proper electronic files, support projects, conduct research, schedule meetings and appointments, and provide information via phone and email. They also use computer applications to create spreadsheets, compose correspondences, and prepare reports and presentations.

The Business Information Worker—Quick Start Foundational Skills Certificate Program is designed as the first level in a series of certificate options to prepare students for entry-level office and administrative support in a variety of job positions, including general office clerks, retail salesperson, customer service representatives, receptionist, and information clerks. Students will be better trained to meet the workforce demands of today’s business environment. 

The Foundational Skills Certificate in Business Information Worker—Quick Start will be awarded upon completion of 14 units selected from a list of courses offered in the Business Office Technology (BOT) program. Courses required for the certificate are non-sequential and may be taken in any order. The certificate can be completed in one academic year (three quarters). The suggested sequence of courses that follows is based on entry into the program at the beginning of the academic year.