On the campus of William Rainey Harper College in Palatine, area businesses are taking advantage of an affordable and comprehensive training and development education. The growing market of high-tech jobs and small business growth has put Harper in the mix of a host of companies now seeking training, education and assistance. 

Harper College has experienced increased demand for technical skills classes in Internet Protocol (IP) and networking, said Maria Coons, managing director of the Harper College for Business. Demand in this area is regional, she added, as a large array of technology-based businesses thrive in the northwest suburbs

Harper's district has a considerable number of high-tech companies, so the technical skills training demand may be specific to our local area.

Like many community colleges around the state, Harper offers assistance to companies through the Small Business Development Center located on its campus. Here, the college can provide businesses with management, marketing and financial counseling in order to help them succeed. Confidential counseling sessions are available on such topics as financial resources, marketing and start-up. 

But beyond the services of the SBDC, Harper College responds to business demands on a company training level, particularly in the now trendy areas of leadership, customer service, and client management courses. 

Workplace English-as-a-Second Language training is one of our oldest and most successful training programs,Coons said. Harper's ESL program customizes instruction in language skills needed in particular industries and specific to the company, so participants become versed in more than simple conversation. 

Many of the business programs at Harper College include extensive follow-up, which has proven to be an advantage to the school, and its client businesses.

We are most successful with programs that include follow-up sessions where the training is applied, and with programs that are highly interactive, Coons said. 

Harper program which follow that framework include sales/service, leadership and Workplace English-as-a-Second Language. 

Participants are immersed in a topic during the training sessions, Coons said. Then, they are asked to go apply the principles learned. They return to the follow-up sessions and report on their successes or challenges in implementing the skills/techniques discussed during training. Strategies for further success are discussed, and the participants are asked to apply those, as well.

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