Administrative Assistant's Update

UPDATE PM #40065782 P R O F E S S I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T F O R C A N A D A ' S O F F I C E S U P P O R T S T A F F Administrative Assistant's UPDATE INSIDE It's a man's job too . . . . . . . 2 Women need allies in push for workplace fl exible hours. Values gained early fuel career . 3 What top manager Julie Pingree learned from her administrative experience. PACs inform college courses . 5 Industry advisory committees keep training programs current. Kick-start a stalled career . . . . 7 Trainer offers tips to get "unstuck" when job prospects are in neutral. Continued on page 4 By George Pearson Fast-moving changes in technology are reshaping the offi ce environment, prompting changes in the content of administrative professional programs at Canada's colleges. But as they evaluate and update programs to teach the skills necessary to handle the latest offi ce technology, colleges are also revamping courses to ensure graduates have a grip on some of the old-fashioned concepts that make for a successful employment experience. For example, concepts as basic as how you. . . • should dress for your workplace; • make customers and clients feel respected and well served; • carry on a friendly, constructive conversation with a co-worker; • compose clear, concise, grammatical sentences to form a business letter or report. Equipping students with modern – and traditional – skills to meet the demands of employers is a priority for college instructors. "Ten years ago our students seemed to be more aware of how their behaviour impacted others around them," says Jane Cooper, associate dean and coordinator of the offi ce administration cluster of courses at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario. "Working with others, being aware of cultural differences, we need to do a better job of educating our students. There should be a sense of responsibility, a sense of propriety when it comes to the organization that you work for." PACs vital to updating Most colleges have program advi- sory committees (PACs) who provide feedback that colleges depend upon for insights into how course content connects with the needs of employers. Helen Roberts is head of the applied business department at Vancouver Community College. She says her PAC several years ago suggested that stu- dents "needed to be taught more human relations skills, like soft skills about coping in an offi ce, dealing with people and asserting themselves." At the same time, today's admin students are better equipped with Family priorities widen gender pay gap: study Married mothers who put fam- ily ahead of work earn less than fathers making the same commit- ment, concludes a U.S. study. The largest pay gap exists between married mothers and married fathers who put family over work obligations at least once a year, according to PayScale, a compensation analysis fi rm. Citing data from a survey of 1.4-million full-time U.S. employees between 2013 and 2015, the study reported "no pay gap between single men and women without children who say they never prioritize home and family over work." www.payscale.com/data-pack- ages/gender-pay-gap Credit: Cartoonresource/Shutterstock JANUARY 2016 courses to ensure graduates have Credit: Cartoonresource/Shutterstock Admin training values new, old skills

• Cover