No Business or Technical Professional vouchers are available

Following is the information I was given regarding the vouchers that were re-assigned:

All Elevate America vouchers have been assigned to customers or assigned to the pre-activated course sets. On Tuesday, Oct. 27th, 2009 vouchers that were assigned to a customer prior to Oct. 15th and not activated by Oct. 23rd were transferred to holding accounts and pre-activated to ensure the vouchers were not lost after Oct. 31st. Customers affected by this process were sent emails on the 27th. These vouchers were not taken away; they are being preserved for the original assignees. Upon request, the vouchers will be returned to the original account and the customer will receive information on the credentials (Microsoft Live Id userid and password) required to access the Microsoft E-Learning site.

Send an email IMMEDIATELY to:

EAOffice2007@illinoisworknet.com

and request that your vouchers be reinstated, listing the vouchers you were originally assigned. You should then get a return email with the process by the end of this week.However, if your illinoisworknet account status shows 'not activated' and you know that you have activated your vouchers, go to the Microsoft e-learning site and check. Many of those vouchers are indeed there, despite the 'not activated' status on the IWN site. And always enter your classes from the IWN portal to avoid incurring costs from Microsoft. You will have access to your registered course for ONE YEAR from the date they were registered.
Contact me at 630-906-4128 if you are still experiencing problems accessing your courses.

Judith

KMart Smart Assist: 20% Discount for Unemployed

KMart is offering assistance to the unemployed, with a 20% discount on over 1,500 KMart brand grocery and drugstore products for up to 6 months. Go to: www.kmart.com/smartassist or call 1-866-KMART-4U (1-866-562-7848)

Eligibility:
Kmart customers who present state-issued identification (driver’s license or identification card) and a state-issued unemployment benefits enrollment confirmation are eligible to participate in the program (“Eligible Participants”). At checkout, cardholders will be required to show their valid discount card, their state-issued identification card for signature verification and their state-issued unemployment benefits enrollment verification. Valid signature verification is required to use the card.

Happy Halloween!

As the Elevate America program comes to an end, congratulations to all who have taken the tests...talk about Trick or Treat!  I so enjoy hearing about your success!

Judith

Vouchers listed as 'Not Activated' on IWN site

Several of you came to my office concerned about the fact that on the Illinois Worknet (IWN) site, some or all of your vouchers are listed as 'Not Activated'.
When we checked the Microsoft e-learning page, these vouchers were indeed activated, and courses were available.
IWN tried to find out which of the vouchers were not activated, and these were 'pre-activated' by the state. However, they are listed as 'Not Activated'. Please check the Microsoft e-learning site to see if your courses are listed. If they are, then you have access to them for 1 year.
Call me or see me if you do NOT find them on your e-learning account.

VOUCHER ACTIVATION - IMPORTANT UPDATE

If you did not yet activate your vouchers, you may find them 'missing' and have received an email stating:

"Thank you for your interest in receiving computer training through the Elevate America Program. Our records indicate you have not yet activated your training vouchers. In an effort to ensure that vouchers are not lost by not being activated by October 31, 2009, the State of Illinois will be pre-activating training vouchers this week. It may appear that the vouchers have been removed from your Illinois workNet account; however, please be assured that the Elevate America team is committed to providing you with the training courses that you need. If you still wish to take the training, and we hope you do, please respond to this e-mail by November 13, 2009 and provide us with information regarding the courses that you would like to take (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access). Please also indicate if you need assistance in accessing the training courses or have any other questions."

Quite a few of you have called me asking what exactly the email means. I called the director of the program, and he assured me that you will still be able to access these Office courses, with vouchers. However, you need to send an email IMMEDIATELY to:

EAOffice2007@illinoisworknet.com

if you are interested in a training "course set" including Word, Excel and PowerPoint. These will be available on a first-come, first-served basis until November 13, 2009, or until all vouchers are used.

What this means is that you will have access to Business Worker voucher courses, but you may have to wait a couple of weeks to start. This does not apply to vouchers that have previously been activated. Those e-learning courses are there for you now, and you do have them for a year from the date you originally activated them. Please call me if there is any confusion, or if you need assistance with accessing the e-learning site.

Judith

More Test Centers

Most of the Illinois workNet Centers at KCDEE affiliates have some times for testing as well. Call in advance to check. Local outlets include:

N. Aurora, 2 Smoketree Plaza, N. Aurora 60542 630-844-6640
Yorkville Affiliate, 811 West John Street, Yorkville, 60560 630-553-9100 ext 8304
Elgin, 30 DuPage Ct., Elgin, 60120, 847-888-7900
DeKalb, 1701 Lincoln Hwy., DeKalb, 60115 815-756-4893

None of these have specific time schedules, but if they do have tests, it will be on a first come, first served basis.

Additional Testing Date Assigned

October 30 has been opened up for MCAS testing from 9a-2p in Henning 104 at the WCC Sugar Grove Campus. Registration is still required. If you need an additional testing voucher, please let me know, since there are some available.

Judith, 630-906-4128 or jsotir@waubonsee.edu

To register for an exam date/time call Sarah Dwinnells at 630-466-7900 x 2263.

There is still time to get your certification...if you move quickly!

Positions Open

There are four positions that will be open until November 6 in the Adult Education Department at WCC. If you are interested in these openings, go to http://waubonsee.edu/ and go to Employment. The positions are:

AE Data System Coordinator (working with the state database and information system)
Academic Specialist (assist the Adult Education Program Manager to develop the programs)
AE Transitions Advisor (assisting students with transition to credit program courses)
AE Instructional Aide (clerical, bi-lingual Spanish/English)

Vouchers 'Re-captured': Help!

I'm now getting calls and email from clients whose vouchers had been 'reassigned' due to non-registration. Please contact EAOffice2007@illinoisworknet.com immediately if this has happened to you. I will try to find out more information, but that would be my first suggestion.

Elevate America: ALL Training Vouchers have been assigned

The last training vouchers for Elevate America have been assigned. There are still a few certification testing vouchers available, and if you are interested in those, please call me, Judith Sotir, at 630-906-4128.

I hate to nag, but if you have not yet activated your vouchers, please do so immediately. If you have trouble activating your vouchers, contact my assistant Tyesha Rollins at 630-906-4248, or call me. The last day to register your vouchers is 10/31/09.

Thank you!

It's really nice to hear from so many of you that you are finishing up the Elevate America courses, and taking the certification exams. I know it's been a whirlwind, but I'm amazed at how much success you have all had. Remember the vouchers are good for one year from the registration date, so keep working! And CONGRATULATIONS on your accomplishments!

IT Professional Vouchers are NO LONGER AVAILABLE

ALL of the IT Professional vouchers for Elevate America have been given out. However, there are still some of the Business Worker vouchers (for Excel, Word, Access, PowerPoint, Vista and Outlook)available. Call me SOON if you need Business Worker vouchers.

Also, if you have not registered your vouchers yet, remember that they will expire on October 31. However, registered vouchers are good for one year from the date of registration.

Problems with Outlook 2007 Tests

I've had calls from voucher recipients regarding problems with completing the Outlook 2007 test (Outlook only).

The test would not come up at WCC, or at Elgin CC. Both sites are working to resolve the problem, but please check with the sites before going out to test on Outlook 2007. It may be resolved by the time this is posted, but I don't want anyone traveling needlessly.

Additional Certification Testing Dates

Two additional times have been assigned at Waubonsee College, Sugar Grove Campus, Henning Computer Center:

We have added additional dates to the MCAS testing dates already offered. Please notify anyone who might be interested that the additional dates/times are:
Thursday, 10/22 - 1:30-4:00p
Friday, 10/23 - 11:00a-3:00p
These are the remaining dates that were previously scheduled:
October 27 1:00 PM and 3:30 PM
October 28 9:00 AM and 11:30 AM
October 29 5:00 PM and 7:30 PM

To register for ANY test date/time call Sarah Dwinnells at 630-466-7900 x 2263.
Please register soon, as dates are filling quickly. Remember, you have TWO tries per test voucher to pass the certification exam.

For testing on Office 2003, contact the Quad County Urban League, at 630-851-2203. WCC does not offer testing for Office 2003.

Additional testing is available at Lumity in Chicago. The number to call is 312-372-4872. Elgin CC and Joliet JC are also Certiport testing sites, and have their own schedules. Call those sites for information.

It does not appear that there will be any extensions for testing using the vouchers. However, you have the option of paying for testing at a later date, if you so choose.

Come to the Fair! Saturday, October 17

The Third Annual Renewable Energy Fair

www.waubonsee.edu/energyfair
Saturday, October 17

9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Sugar Grove Campus

Erickson Hall
FREE ADMISSION

Exhibits, workshops and speakers highlighting sustainable living and renewable energy products and services.

Eco-friendly exhibitors
Kids activity area - create recycled art and meet Bruce the Spruce!
Special workshops
Guided tours of the beautiful Waubonsee campus natural areas
Keynote speaker
· Rebecca Devens

Citizens Utility Board

10:00 a.m.

How to Lower Your Energy Costs

door prizes!

Memo regarding Oct. 31 END DATE for vouchers

I want to provide you with an update regarding the Elevate America Program. There are only three weeks left for people to activate training vouchers and complete certification exams.
PLEASE MAKE SURE CLIENTS ACTIVATE THE TRAINING VOUCHERS
All training vouchers must be activated by October 31, 2009. A voucher is activated once an individual enters their voucher code and selects courses in the Microsoft learning portal. I have attached the complete activation instructions. Please reach out to your clients to make sure that the vouchers are properly activated or they will expire at the end of the month.
EXAMINATION RESOURCES

All certification vouchers must be used by October 31, 2009. Lumity is a Certiport center that will provide FREE examinations through the end of the month. Please advise clients to contact Lumity at elevateamerica@lumity.org or 312-372-4872 x 119 to reserve a testing time within the next three weeks.

Upcoming Events

Career Transitions: designed to assist those looking to re-enter the workforce or change careers.
Copley Campus: Oct. 15, 1pm-3pm
Sugar Grove Campus: Nov. 9, 6pm-8pm

Power Your Job Search with College Central: discover the resources available to you on this premier job network web site.
Sugar Grove Campus-student center rm 103 Oct. 28, 6pm-7pm

Choosing a Major: designed to help individuals match their interests and educational goals with possible majors.
Sugar Grove Campus: Dec. 3, 2pm-4pm
Aurora Campus: Nov. 12, 10am-noon

On-Campus Recruiting: meet with employers and discuss job opportunities.
Sugar Grove Campus-student center lobby Oct. 13, Nov. 10, & Dec. 8, 10am-noon

Resume Tune-Up: designed for individuals who already have a resume and would like to fine-tune it. Registration Required.
Sugar Grove Campus: Career Services-Student Center rm 103 Oct. 20, 6pm-7pm

Resume for Career Changes: learn how to create a resume and cover letter for a career transition. Registration Required
Sugar Grove Campus-Career Services, Student Center rm 103 Nov. 17, 6pm-7pm

Job Club 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month 2-3p.m. Registration Recommended.
Sugar Grove Campus: Student Center rm 106
Behavioral Interviewing-Oct.13
Career Changers: transitional resume and cover letter-Oct. 27 (bldg A, rm 129)
Create a Networking Handbill-Nov. 10
Staying Upbeat During the Job Search-Dec. 8
Researching Employeers-Dec. 22

NO Classes, Monday, OCT. 12, Columbus Day

In observation of Columbus Day, the ACTC will be CLOSED. No classes will meet that day. Classes will resume Tuesday, Oct 13. The Monday schedule will be moved to Monday, October 19. Enjoy the holiday!

Hotmail and Windows Live Accounts Hacked

You may have heard or read about the following news that Hotmail accounts have been hacked. This should NOT affect any of you using Hotmail or Windows Live to access your vouchers, but I would caution you about using those accounts for anything else. You can sign up for a free Gmail account from Google, or a free Yahoo account. Neither of those accounts have been compromised.

Judith

From BBC News, Monday, October 5. 2009:


Hotmail accounts 'posted online'


Reports suggest Windows Live Hotmail accounts have been hacked
Thousands of Hotmail passwords have been hacked and posted online, according to reports.


Microsoft, which owns the popular web-based e-mail system, told BBC News that it was aware of the claims and that it was "investigating the situation".


A report on technology blog neowin.net said that the details of "over 10,000" accounts had been posted to a website.


The blog suggested the accounts had been hacked or had been collected as part of a phishing scheme.


Phishing involves using fake websites to lure people into revealing personal details such as bank accounts or login names and passwords.

Changes to Course Registration

I'm not sure what the following message means, but I will find out on Monday...just a heads up that something will be changing:

Microsoft is updating Elevate America online course registration Friday, October 2, 2009 at approximately 6:00 p.m. CST.

Illinois workNet will have updated instructions for course registration available Monday, October 5, 2009.

Scary Stuff!!!!

Your Elevate America vouchers will expire on Halloween...so don't lose out on the opportunity! Be sure to register ALL of them before that date, or they'll be as useless as a week old pumpkin. You'll have a full year to utilize the vouchers after registration, but they'll be skeletons of vouchers past if you forget. Don't be a pumpkin head...register your vouchers today!