Longwood offering free online class to teach workplace skills

Longwood University is offering a free online class that will teach critical workplace skills to high-school students and others.

"5 Skills You Need to Succeed: What Employers Want You to Know," is a 10-week noncredit class that begins Oct. 1. The class, which Longwood has never offered before, will help people succeed academically and professionally by teaching skills in presentation and communication, collaboration, habits of successful people, critical thinking and navigating the professional world.

"The class is for anyone looking to learn new professional skills," said Dr. Nicholas Langlie, Longwood's director of planning and policy, who developed and will teach the class. "Even though it's ideal for high-school students, it's for others as well, including people who are out of work and want to refresh their skill set, and also anyone wanting to learn the skills to do well in their future profession. It will make anyone more valuable to an employer."

The class, which is asynchronous ("students can come and go as they please," Langlie said), will include instructional videos, interactive content and achievements called badges. It was developed entirely with open educational resources and is based on best practices and "sound pedagogy," Langlie said.

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is featuring the class on its homepage (www.doe.virginia.gov). "The VDOE is supporting the class because it aligns perfectly with the Virginia's Workforce Readiness Skills project," said Langlie. Interim Longwood President Marge Connelly and Dr. Jeannine Perry, dean of the College of Graduate and Professional Services, also have been instrumental in supporting the class.

More than 600 people have signed up for the class, including people in nine foreign countries and 30 states. "The response has been far more than I expected," said Langlie.

To register (the deadline is Sept. 16) or for more information, visit determinedfuture.com. People with questions also may email Langlie at langlienk@longwood.edu.

"This is a new way of looking at professional development models in higher education," Langlie. "It's also a way of giving back to the community."