|
Sponsors
|
Foundation
Facts
March 15, 2007
Sales & Service Learning Center Committee
We’ve Gone Out To bid!
Job Opening
Speakers Needed at Gateway Community College Class
Industry News
The CRMA Foundation has created a committee that is dedicated
to getting the Sales & Service Learning Center at Westfield CT
Post up and running. Currently, the committee is working on
building and outfitting the center.
Soon we will be working on meeting employers needs through the
Center.
We would like to invite any employer who hires people for
sales & customer service positions to join the committee and
offer a human resource point of view.
The committee meets via conference call once a month.
Please contact Michele Mesek at 860-572-1044 or
michele@crmaonline.com
for more information.
We’ve Gone Out To Bid
The building of the Center is moving along. We are currently
out to bid for the construction of the center.
We expect to open this summer!!
Job Opening
We have posted a job opening on monster for an
instructor/vocational coach to work at the Center. If you know
of someone who may be interested in this position, please send
them this link:
http://jobview.monster.com/getjob.asp?JobID=54901564&JobTitle=Instructor+%2f+Vocational+Coach&fn=3&lid=689&cy=us&vw=b&AVSDM=2007-03-12+13%3a56%3a00
Speakers Needed at Gateway Community
College Class
Sales and Service Learning Center partner, Gateway Community
College, is holding classes at the Westfield CT Post mall as
part of their Fashion Merchandising Major. They are looking
for speakers to talk to the class on a Tuesday evening. The
class runs from 5:20 p.m. – 8:10 p.m.
Please contact Professor Rose Bednarz at
multinational@snet.net,
or Michele Mesek at 860-527-1044 or
michele@crmaonline.com
if you would like to share your wisdom.
Industry News
Professional Retail Certifications – Make them Preferred
Qualifications for Hire
Companies in the market to hire or advance exceptional people
should make the NRF Foundation’s National Professional
Certifications a preferred qualification for hire. These
industry-developed certifications help employers identify
talent, establish clear performance expectations, increase
productivity of your sales force, and promote superior
standards of service. The National Professional Certification
in Retail Management captures the core of what Retail Managers
need to know for a broad range of management and supervisory
positions.
Many New Hires Leave Within First Year
March 12, 2007 - A third of employers say that between 10
percent and 25 percent of new hires leave their organization
(voluntarily or involuntarily) within the first year,
according to a survey by Novations Group, a consulting firm
based in Boston.
http://hr.blr.com/news.aspx?id=75553
For more information on the Sales & Service Learning Center at
Westfield CT Post, to add or remove your name to our
Foundation Facts distribution list, or for questions and
comments, contact
Michele Mesek at 860-527-1044
February 8,
2007
Gateway Community College
Hosts Retail Analysis Course at Westfield CT Post
Are Your Employees Certified Customer Service Professionals?
Attention: Milford Area Businesses!
Support the Foundation
• The CRMA Foundation is extremely excited about the creation
of Connecticut’s first National Retail Federation Foundation
affiliated Retail Skills Center at the Westfield Connecticut
Post Mall in Milford. Opening Summer 2007!!
• The Center will find, select, train and motivate
professional employees for jobs and careers in the sales and
service industries.
• The Center will offer training based on national industry
driven skill standards as well as exams for clients to receive
National Professional Certifications in Sales, Customer
Service and/or Retail Management.
• The Center is a partnership between the CRMA Foundation,
National Retail Federation Foundation, and Westfield
Corporation.
Gateway Community College hosts Retail
Analysis Course at Westfield CT Post
• GCC is a supporter of the Sales and Service Learning Center
and will hold retail related college courses at the Center.
• GCC is currently holding its Fashion Analysis course at the
Westfield CT Post mall on Tuesday evenings. This 3 credit
course is part of GCC’s Fashion Merchandising and Retailing
major which is an Associate Degree program.
• Another 3 credit retailing course will be held at the Sales
and Service Learning Center at Westfield CT Post during the
Fall 2007 semester. For more information about the courses or
the Fashion Merchandising and Retailing major please contact
Professor Rose Bednarz at (203) 285-2198 or
rbednarz@gwcc.commnet.edu.
Are Your Employees Certified Customer
Service Professionals?
• Wouldn’t it be great if all of your employees were Certified
Customer Service Professionals? Soon they can be.
• The Sales & Service Learning Center at Westfield CT Post
will offer the National Professional Certification in Customer
Service exam. This industry endorsed credential measures and
documents knowledge and skills.
• The assessment tests competency levels based on industry
skill standards, developed with input from hundreds of
companies. The one hour assessment is computer based and
proctored. Once a candidate passes the assessment, they
receive a certificate and lapel pin.
• The National Professional Certification in Customer Service
is a great credential for both new hires and your current
associates.
• If you are in the market to hire or advance exceptional
people, turn to the Sales & Service Learning Center at
Westfield CT Post! We will be open this summer, contact
Michele Mesek today for more information at
michele@crmaonline.com
or (860) 527-1044.
Attention: Milford area Businesses!
• Attention Milford and area Businesses! The Sales & Service
Learning Center will be a great resource to find qualified and
certified associates to work in customer service/sales
positions in your company.
• Job posting is free for you to find the right person to fill
open positions and National Professional Certification in
Customer Service is a great credential for both new hires and
your current associates.
• Please contact Michele Mesek today for more information
about the Sales & Service Learning Center or to learn more
about certification, job posting, and/or how the center can
benefit your business at
michele@crmaonline.com
or (860) 527-1044.
Support the Foundation
• We are up to great things here at the CRMA Charitable and
Educational Foundation.
• Please give every consideration to making a donation of any
size. We will make every dollar count!
• You can also donate physical items or outfit entire rooms at
the Sales and Service Learning Center. Donating the contents
of an entire room will be recognized with a wall plaque in
that room. Please contact Michele Mesek at michele@crmaonline.com
for a list of the items that we need.
• Your donation is 100% tax deductible; the CRMA Foundation is
a 501 (c) 3 non- profit organization as designated by the IRS.
April 13, 2006
Are Your Employees Certified Customer Service
Professionals?
Share the Information with Others in Your Company!
Spring Youth Job Fair at the U of B
• Wouldn’t it be great if all of your employees were Certified
Customer Service Professionals? Soon they can be.
• The Sales & Service Learning Center at Westfield CT Post
will offer the National Professional Certification in Customer
Service assessment. This industry endorsed credential measures
and documents knowledge and skills.
• The assessment tests competency levels based on industry
skill standards, developed with input from hundreds of
companies. The one hour assessment is computer based and
proctored. Once a candidate passes the assessment, they
receive a certificate and lapel pin.
• Job posting is free and the National Professional
Certification in Customer Service is a great credential for
both new hires and your current associates.
• The Center, located in Milford, will service Clients from
Bridgeport to New Haven. If you are located within, or recruit
from this area, allow us to assist your recruiting efforts.
• If you are in the market to hire or advance exceptional
people, turn to the Sales & Service Learning Center! We will
be open this summer, contact Michele Mesek today for more
information at
michele@crmaonline.com or (860) 527-1044.
Share the Information with others in
your company!
• Forward this newsletter to your Company’s Foundation or
Human Resource department!
• Interested parties can send an email to
michele@crmaonline.com
if they would like to receive the bi weekly newsletter via
email directly from the CRMA Foundation. Just include (1) your
name and title, (2) your company name and (3) your email
address.
• Our next newsletter will be delivered to your inbox on April
27th. Back issues can be found on the CRMA website at
www.crmaonline.com. Click on Foundation Facts in the left
column.
Spring Youth Job Fair at the University
of Bridgeport
• The CT Department of Labor is hosting a job fair on
Thursday, May 4th from 2:00pm – 4:00pm at the University of
Bridgeport Student Center. You are invited to meet and
interview talented and motivated high school and college
students.
• Registration is FREE. This job fair will benefit employers
who are looking to hire part time / full time, summer and
seasonal positions or internships.
• Please register by Friday April 27th by contacting Dolores
Ryan at 203-455-2602 or
Dolores.ryan@ct.gov.
March 30, 2006
Sales & Service Learning Center is off to a Great Start!
Local Retailer’s Get More Information
Turn your E-waste Into a Tool for Education
With the conclusion of our second partner meeting, the Sales
& Service Learning Center is off to a great start.
We would like to take a moment to thank all of the
Organizations who have contributed to our meetings thus far
and who will help make the Center a reality and a success! We
appreciate your interest and commitment.
We are happy to bring on more partners! If your companies
Foundation or Human Resource department would be interested in
learning more about the Center, please forward them this
newsletter.
Interested parties can send an email to
michele@crmaonline.com
if they would like to receive the bi weekly newsletter via
email directly from the CRMA Foundation. Just include (1) your
name and title, (2) your company name and (3) your email
address.
Our next newsletter will be delivered to your inbox on April
13th.
Please contact Michele Mesek today for more information at
michele@crmaonline.com
or (860) 527-1044.
Local Retailer’s Get More Information
Attention Milford and area retailers!! The Sales & Service
Learning Center will be a great resource to find qualified and
certified associates to work in your store.
Job posting is free for you to find the right person to fill
open positions and National Professional Certification in
Customer Service is a great credential for both new hires and
your current associates.
Please contact Michele Mesek today for more information
about the Sales & Service Learning Center at Westfield
Connecticut Post or to learn more about Certification, job
posting, and/or how the center can benefit your business at
michele@crmaonline.com
or (860) 527-1044.
Turn your E-waste Into a Tool for
Education
Geeks for Givers is a non-profit organization devoted to
bridging the Digital Divide by providing extremely low-cost
computer systems to disadvantaged community members through
schools, nonprofits and other qualified agencies.
They solicit donations of computers that local corporations
are replacing and disposing of, then restore and upgrade the
operating systems and software to current standards. Geeks for
Givers is a certified MAR (Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher),
a national program sponsored by Microsoft, TechSoup, and
CompuMentor.
Corporations usually pay high fees to recycling vendors to
recycle these computers. Geeks For Givers will take them for
free and wipe the hard drives to DOD specifications.
They will even pick up systems if donated in lots larger
than 50, and will also accept laser printers, networking
switches and cables, and components like hard drives and
memory.
Systems must meet the following minimum specifications: PIII
processor with 128 Meg RAM (most systems less than 5 years old
meet these criteria).
Geeks for givers provides these computers to: Local schools
and students throughout the state - Community groups like the
Community Renewal Team and after school programs – Nutmeg Big
Brother Big Sister (for the mentors to pass on to the
children) – and Halfway houses, Homeless Shelters, and
Battered Women’s Shelters (for the residents to gain skills,
search for jobs, and write resumes).
Many students who have never had a computer at home are
given one through these programs, allowing them an equal
educational opportunity for the first time.
If you have computers to donate, please contact Geeks For
Givers at 860-510-0449 or via e-mail at
donate@geeksforgivers.org. For more information visit
www.geeksforgivers.org
on the web.
March 16, 2006
National Professional Certifications –
Sales, Customer Service and Retail Management
Steering Committee Meeting Reminder, 3/28 at 10:00am
Letter of Support for the CRMA Foundation
Southwestern Connecticut’s Retail / Hospitality Focus Group
The Sales and Service Learning Center at Westfield
Connecticut Post will be Connecticut’s first National Retail
Federation Foundation affiliated Skills Center. The Center
will be located in Milford’s Westfield CT Post mall and will
open this summer!
The Center will find, select, train and motivate
professional employees for jobs and careers in the sales and
service industry.
The Center will offer training based on national industry
driven skill standards as well as computerized exams for
clients to receive National Professional Certifications in
Sales, Customer Service and/or Retail Management. All of this
will be FREE OF CHARGE to the client.
National Professional Certifications in Sales, Customer
Service and Retail Management are industry endorsed
credentials that measure and document knowledge and skills so
that sales and service companies can identify, hire and
promote great talent.
The Certifications have been developed with support from
U.S. Department of Labor, American Express Foundation and
hundreds of companies.
For more information please contact Michele Mesek at
860-527-1044 or
michele@crmaonline.com.
Steering Committee Meeting Reminder,
3/28 at 10:00am
Just a reminder…Our second Steering Committee meeting will
be held on Tuesday March 28th at 10:00 am at the Westfield
Connecticut Post mall’s Management Office.
We hope to clear up any questions that you have about the
Center and to discuss the planning guide and customer flow
chart in more detail, specifically how all the organizations
can work together and benefit from the center.
Please contact me if you need a copy of these documents,
860-527-1044 or
michele@crmaonline.com.
We look forward to seeing you on the 28th. Please respond to
this email to confirm your attendance.
Letter of Support for the CRMA
Foundation
CRMA members will receive a letter in the mail shortly
asking you to make a donation to the CRMA Foundation to
support our initiatives. Please give every consideration to
making a donation of any size.
We need your help and we will make every dollar count!
Your donation is 100% tax deductible; the CRMA Foundation is
a 501 (c) 3 non- profit organization as designated by the IRS.
Southwestern Connecticut’s
Retail/Hospitality Focus Group
The WorkPlace, Inc., Southwestern Connecticut’s Workforce
Investment Board, is conducting a Community Audit & Needs
Assessment to gather information to address two workforce
March 2, 2006
CT’s First Retail Skills Center
Benefits of Skills Centers to Sales and Service Employers
National Industry Driven Skill Standards
The CRMA Foundation is extremely excited about the creation
of CT’s first NRF affiliated Retail Skills Center at the
Westfield Connecticut Post mall in Milford.
Skills Centers are designed to serve the merchants within a
mall and closely-aligned sales and service communities. The
Centers find, select, train and motivate professional
employees for jobs and careers in the sales and service
industry. They place individuals in long-term jobs with
flexible career opportunities.
The Center is a partnership between the CRMA Foundation,
National Retail Federation Foundation, and Westfield
Corporation.
Benefits of Skills Centers to Retail and
Service Sector Employers
The Retail Skills Center at Westfield Connecticut Post will:
Match merchants with well-trained and qualified job
applicants interested in retail jobs and careers.
Save recruitment, training and turnover dollars for
employers who hire qualified graduates.
Prepare employees for National Professional Certification in
Customer Service, Sales or Management.
Give employers and potential employees a central contact
point for recruitment, training and placement, in malls and
downtown areas.
Document the knowledge, skills, and quality work performance
expected from Skills Center graduates.
Increase language, communication and problem solving skills
and experiences of professional retail workers, to improve
flexibility and productivity.
National Industry Driven Skill Standards
Retail Skills Centers use industry-driven skill standards to
train workers in the skill sets needed by professional
customer service workers.
These standards outline the knowledge, skills and abilities
that workers need in seven major areas of Customer Service and
Sales in order to be successful for themselves and their
employers. Those areas are:
Customer Service • Learns about Products or Services •
Assesses Customer Needs • Educates Customer • Meets Customer’s
Needs and Provides Ongoing Support
Sales • Prepares for Selling • Gains Customer Commitment and
Closes Sale • Develops and Implements a Sales Follow-up Plan
|
