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Boosting business-Weekly "MBA Essentials" courses help locals improve their work skills

One of the biggest challenges facing managers, executives and entrepreneurs is that their work gets in the way of doing business better.

Because of that, the University of Montana’s Continuing Education Department and School of Business are stepping into the problem with a solution called MBA Essentials.

By BETSY COHEN of the Missoulian

The 14-week-long program is held Wednesday evenings and is intended to be a crash course and tuneup for people who want to improve their business and workplace skills without formally enrolling at UM, said course director Clyde Neu.

People from all education backgrounds are encouraged to sign up for the program.

Although there are no tests given or grades handed out and the course is not for UM credit, all the classes are taught by UM business professors, whose expertise is matched with each session’s various topic.

Team building, managerial economics, customer service and satisfaction, and human resource management are just a few of the areas covered.

One of the most helpful spinoffs of the program is that people walk away with new networking and resource avenues, said former student Bill Clawson, a co-owner of Clawson Manufacturing in Missoula.

It’s been 10 years since Clawson graduated from UM, and when he heard about the MBA Essentials course, he thought it would be a good way to catch up with new trends and developments in the work world.

"I look on learning and education as a lifelong thing, and when I looked at their flier, I saw some things that appealed to me and some things that could really help me run the business better," Clawson said. "I got what I needed, and I ended up getting things I didn’t even think about going in. One of those things was the interaction with other people in the business community, and what I learned in regards to international business and strategic planning."

"The program was very good because it offered a good general overview of many different areas, particularly in finance and accounting," said Linda Beddow, controller of Sirco Manufacturing Inc. in Missoula. "I felt the subject areas were very relevant to small businesses and I felt it was a good way to update my skills."

Upon completion of the course, students will receive a certificate.

"I’ve discovered that most participants are doing a lot more than just dressing up a resume," Neu said. "It’s a way to revitalize and re-energize themselves."

For more information

For more information about MBA Essentials, call Clyde Neu at 243-2097 or find a program brochure at http://www.umt.edu/ccesp/default.asp

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