Although the job market is in transition in New Orleans, like the rest of the United States, access to high-quality programs remains important to many employers as well as individuals, said Tina Chang, associate vice president for Professional and Continuing Education at the University of New Orleans.

“With the COVID-19 pandemic’s uncertainty, digital and virtual learning experiences have become greater opportunities to fortify the mission of an organization, up-skill at the business unit-level, or re-skill for those individuals looking to transition into new jobs,” Chang said.

A portfolio of new certificates and workshops offered online by UNO’s Professional and Continuing Education (PaCE) is aimed at meeting that need, she said.

“During these times, it is my hope that we will all be able to contribute to the speedy economic recovery of our communities,” Chang said. “There are many longstanding companies, startups, and small businesses that will need talented employees to be able to rebound from the financial setbacks caused by the global pandemic.”

PaCE has embraced digital and virtual live learning for its portfolio of certificates and workshops in order to continue delivering high-value learning opportunities, Chang said.

Many of the courses are not only timely, but offer information and skills that are tangible and transferable. For example, the certificate course “Finance for Non-Finance Professionals and Managers,” includes instruction on how to financially prepare your business to weather a disaster.

“This program is geared toward current or future managers who would like to deepen their knowledge of how to manage all aspects of their business' finances,” said course instructor Alexander Bigbie. “This includes preparing your business for unforeseen financial shocks like those brought about by the Coronavirus pandemic.”

Social distancing mandates have demonstrated the necessity of being a strong virtual communicator, said Joseph Ewell, who is teaching a certificate course entitled, “Professional Sales Leadership.”

“Previous trends (accelerated by the current COVID-19 event) have demonstrated the necessity of customer, prospect and stakeholder interactions through a variety of channels, including virtual ones,” Ewell said. “Effective presentation, communication, management and leadership skills learned through this certificate can give participants an advantage in the new marketplace.”

A complete list of the course offerings and workshops can be found on the PaCE website.