Faculty spotlight: Bidwell Training Center Career Services Coordinator Tiaona Cade
October, 23 2020 10:00 am
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For Tiaona Cade, working at Bidwell Training Center (BTC) is more than just a job –
it’s a blessing. As their Career Services Coordinator, Cade is responsible for guiding her
students on a path that leads to a successful future.
In addition to helping her students explore career opportunities and learn how to become
the best possible job candidates, Cade also looks at her students holistically and teaches
them how to become productive, informed and well-rounded citizens.
“BTC’s mission is to change lives. We’re doing that not only through our programs but also
teaching them life skills,” says Cade.
Cade introduces her students to critical topics such as community engagement, health and
wellness and sexual assault prevention through the educational software platform, EVERFI.
BTC's Partnership with EVERFI Promotes Academic and Personal Success
EVERFI recently recognized BTC with a Campus Prevention Network Seal of Prevention™, for their commitment to their students’ academic and personal success.
Cade believes that EVERFI’s software connects what her students are learning in class to the real world. According to EVERFI, their programs have proven impact on student retention, belonging, academic success, well-being and inclusion.
“The courses teach our students the best practices for dealing with certain situations that may arise in their future or that they may have already experienced or are experiencing,” says Cade, “The students really appreciate the courses and take away a lot of their concepts.”
BTC students also take EVERFI’s mental wellbeing course that is designed to take the stigma out of mental health. It gives learners the tools to recognize mental health issues in themselves and in their peers and how to receive help.
“Now is the perfect time for this course because of COVID-19. We actually launched the mental wellbeing course while we were quarantined. The students really appreciated it,” says Cade.
BTC also believes that it isn’t enough for just the students to take EVERFI’s course.
“We feel it’s important that all of the program directors also take the courses, so they know what their students are learning and that they are also well-trained,” says Cade.
Currently, BTC is preparing to introduce its students to EVERFI’s financial literacy course that teaches students the basics of money, credit, loans and even work benefits. Huntington Bank is also partnering with BTC for the course.
“We’re thinking about the long-term impact of what we do here. We’re not just instructors or staff, we’re mentors,” says Cade, “and it’s inspiring to see our students overcome challenging situations with the tools we give them.”
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