>> FROM KPRC CHANNEL 2, THIS IS
"HOUSTON NEWSMAKERS," WITH
KHAMBREL MARSHALL.
>> AND WELCOME BACK TO "HOUSTON
NEWSMAKERS".
I'VE BEEN TALKING ALL MORNING
ABOUT THIS GREAT 50% OFF DEAL
FOR VETERANS, AND NOW I HAVE
MERCEDES CLARKE HERE TO TALK
ABOUT WHAT IT IS.
SHE'S THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF
THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
PROGRAM AND NOW THE OPERATION
VETERAN ADVANCEMENT INITIATIVE.
GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> WHAT IS THAT?
IS THAT BRAND-NEW, OR IS THAT
SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN AROUND
FOR A BIT?
>> ACTUALLY, WE JUST LAUNCHED
THAT NOVEMBER 1st FOR THREE
MONTHS.
IT'S A NEW CAMPAIGN OF OURS AND
IT IS MEANT FOR VETERANS WHO
ARE LOOKING TO GET BACK INTO
THE WORKFORCE.
>> SO WHEN YOU SAY VETERAN, HOW
FAR ALONG AGO I WAS IN THE
MILITARY.
IT'S MILITARY VETERANS.
>> IT'S MILITARY VETERANS, AND
WE ARE WILLING TO TAKE SOME
ACTIVE MILITARY, TOO, IF THEY
ARE CONSIDERING GOING INTO THE
CIVILIAN WORKFORCE.
>> SO WHEN YOU ARE OFFERING
THIS DEAL, WHAT KINDS OF
CLASSES ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?
ANY CLASS THEY WANT, OR CERTAIN
KINDS OF CLASSES?
>> WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL OF
OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAM, SO ALL OUR PROGRAMS
ARE GOING TO GET THE
CERTIFIED, CERTIFICATIONS,
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
THAT ARE GOING TO GIVE THEM A
MORE COMPETITIVE EJIOFOR
GETTING A JOFNL >> WHAT KINDS
OF CLASSES ARE THERE THAT WOULD
HELP ME TO DO THAT?
>> SOME TOPICS RIGHT OFF THE
BAT ARE PROJECT MANAGEMENT,
PROCESS IMPROVEMENT, LEAN
METHODOLOGY, SUPPLY CHAIN
MANAGEMENT, THOSE TYPES OF
PROGRAM.
>> AND THAT'S JUST SCRATCHING
THE SURFACE.
>> THAT'S JUST SCAFPGT SURFACE.
WE HAVE OUR PARALEGAL
CERTIFICATE FRESHMAN AND, OF
COURSE, IF THEY ARE GOING INTO
A MASTER'S DEGREE PROGRAM, WE
CAN HELP THEM GET READY TO TAKE
THEIR G.R.E., G-MAP EXAMS, TOO,
SO THOSE COURSES ARE ALSO FOR
50%.
>> THIS IS REALLY NEAT FOR
SOMEBODY WHO HAS BEEN EITHER
THINKING ABOUT IT OR NOT
THINKING ABOUT IT, NOW YOU KIND
OF GET STIMULATED.
DO THEY HAVE TO BE ADMITTED TO
THE UNIVERSITY FIRST FOR
SOMETHING LIKE THIS?
>> NO, NOT AT ALL, NOT AT ALL.
THESE ARE NONCREDIT PROGRAMS,
THEY ARE MEANT TO GET THEM
READY FOR THE WORKFORCE SO THEY
DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO GO
THROUGH THE ENROLLMENT PROCESS,
AND SOME OF THESE MILITARY
FOLKS MAY ALREADY HAVE THEIR
FOUR-YEAR DEGREES, AND WHAT
THEY NEED IS THAT EXTRA
SKILL-BUILDING TEASE TO GET
THEM INTO INTERVIEWS AND MAYBE
INTO SOME JOBS, LANDING SOME
JOBS HERE.
>> WE TALK ABOUT 50% OFF.
WHAT ARE THE COSTS?
>> THEY RANGE, BUT I WOULD SAY
THE MEDIUM COST WOULD BE AROUND
2,000, WHICH FOR THEM WOULD BE
AROUND A THOUSAND DOLLARS, 50%
OFF.
>> AND SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
THE COURSES WILL START WHEN?
>> COURSES CAN START THROUGHOUT
THE WHOLE YEAR.
YES, I'M CONTINUING STUDIES.
WE USUALLY LAUNCH COURSES
THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE YEAR, AND
THEY RANGE FROM 40HOURS TO 144
HOURS, THEY'RE SHORT PROGRAMS,
BOOT CAMPPROGRAMS, FIVE-DAY
PROGRAMS, FOUR-DAY PROGRAMS
THAT THEY CAN GET DONE RIGHT
AWAY.
>> IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S A LOT
OF DIFFERENT CHOICES THAT A
VETERAN CAN MAKE.
DO YOU HAVE RELATIONSHIP WITH
THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION OR
ANY OTHER OF GOVERNMENT ENTITY
ABOUT THIS?
OR YOU CAME--
>> THAT ACTUALLY HAS BEEN THE
CHALLENGE.
THE CHALLENGE IS THAT ALL THE
PROGRAMS FOR EDUCATION
VETERANS, THE MONTGOMERY BILL,
THE POST-9-11 BILL, THE G.I.
BILL AND THE HAZELWOOD ACT
BILL, THEY'RE ALL BUILT TO BE
FOR-CREDIT PROGRAMS,
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS AND
GRADUATE PROGRAMS, AND THAT'S
WHY WE'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO
SERVE THAT PROGRAM, AND NOW BY
PUTTING IN 50% OFF, MAKING IT
MUCH EASIER FOR THEM TO COME IN.
>> WE WANT TO GIVE EVERYBODY
THE DETAILS.
THIS IS FOR MILITARY VETERANS.
IT MEANS 50% OFF THE COST OF
CLASSES.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO THE
WEB SITE AT U-of-H EDU/VET
ADVANCE OR CALL 832-842-5490,
AND, OF COURSE, I'LL HAVE ALL
THIS ON MY WEB SITE AS WELL.
MERCEDES CLARKE, THANK YOU FOR
WHAT YOU'RE DOING FOR THE
VETERANS.