Office Professional Training, the free, one-semester program at Grossmont College that has produced more than 2,600 well-prepared office workers and placed some 85 percent into jobs over the past 35 years, is gearing up for its fall 2021 term.
Virtual information meetings are set for June 22 and July 13 for students interested in enrolling in the July 26-Dec. 19 online classes. OPT is a full-time, 20-week, free job-training program that teaches eight core subjects: business English; job search; keyboarding; Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook; social media basics and office procedures. Students also select specializations in accounting, insurance, medical office, or office support.
“OPT is truly an amazing program,” said Candy McLaughlin, the Business Office Technology lab specialist who assists with OPT. “We pay for tuition and lend textbooks to students. We also have a career placement specialist and a licensed counselor who are solely dedicated to OPT. There is so much support for students.”
A fall 2008 graduate of the program, McLaughlin said OPT proved to be a lifeline after she was laid off from a 17-year job in the yellow/white pages publishing field, then took two years off to stay home with her young children.
When she returned to the job market, she found her skills were outdated, so she enrolled in the insurance track of OPT. She was hired as an office manager for an insurance agency in La Mesa for eight years before she began her current position at Grossmont College in January 2018.
“I have always been involved with OPT and the OPT Alumni Association,” she said. “I love this program because it helps people change their lives, giving them a hand up. Plus, it’s free -- it requires time and dedication, but takes only one semester to complete.”
Requirements to enroll are:
- California residency of one year or longer.
- Ability to attend online classes 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
- Ability to read, write and speak English. (English-as-Second-Language students may need to be assessed.)
- Readiness, willingness, and ability to work in California after the academic portion of the program is completed.
- Internet access from home.
- Windows computer (discount options available).
Potential students are required to apply for college admission at www.grossmont.edu by clicking on “Apply Now.” Choose the major as Business Office Technology Dept. and the educational goal of Administrative Assistant degree. Acquire a student ID number and attend one of the OPT information meetings. Email candy.mclaughlin@gcccd.edu or call 619-644-7548 for information meeting links.