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WTI classes offer real-life office experience

Students can earn certification qualifying them to work in law, medical and business environments.

By PAULETTE LASH RITCHIE
Published August 11, 2005

INVERNESS - The Withlacoochee Technical Institute offers three programs for students interested in business. They can train to become legal administrative specialists, medical secretaries or administrative assistants.

The programs are taught by Jeane DeFelice, Sharon Fries and Jackie Bennett. The three programs consist of four components and begin similarly. The first component prepares students to be information technology assistants. Students completing this first section are prepared for employment as receptionists, file clerks and general office clerks.

The second component, front desk specialist, trains students to be secretaries with limited responsibilities. Those who choose to stay enrolled for the third component can be trained in administrative support in DeFelice's class, as medical office technologists in Fries' class or assistant digital production designers in Bennett's class.

Students in administrative support will be exposed to some business theory, law concepts, fundamentals of insurance and basics of consumer economics. Students completing the third component of the medical program will learn medical office functions and responsibilities and will become more proficient in a medical office than lower-level certification-holders.

Assistant digital production assistants will be trained to create PowerPoint presentations and will gain greater proficiency with computers, digital photography and scanning.

Students are encouraged to remain for all four components, even though they can exit at any time. The classes are designed to be completed in one school year. Some finish earlier and some take longer, DeFelice said, "because everyone comes to us with a different level of proficiency."

Students completing all four of DeFelice's components will be certified legal administrative specialists, formerly known as legal secretaries. They will be qualified to work in a law office, draft letters, process legal forms and maintain a lawyer's calendar and client files.

An administrative assistant is prepared to be an office manager or supervisor.

Students finishing the medical secretary program will be versed in medical terminology and medical ethics and should be familiar with medical management programs and medical billing software.

Students will be accepted until early September and again in January and must be at least 16. The programs are open to adults. Most students are from Citrus County, but some come from Marion and Sumter counties.

DeFelice described her students as those who are often in transition. "The reasons for coming to us are as varied as they are," DeFelice said.

She said the classes try to replicate real office experiences. They discuss real office situations. The experience is hands-on.

"We will help them grow as people (and) as workers," DeFelice said. "We'll help nurture them and improve their technical skills."

[Last modified August 11, 2005, 00:42:17]