No amount of technical skill can be a substitute in the workplace for the ability to read, write and calculate well. I see younger people who are whizzes on the computer, but sometimes they have difficulty spelling and writing or doing a math equation. For young people coming out of college today, one of the biggest challenges is not the technique of communicating technology, it's management of that technology. Woodbury attempts to provide students with both a strong academic foundation and practical abilities. While business classes provide theory, they're also taught from an entrepreneurial perspective, which today incorporates technology.
Every freshman receives a laptop computer and the campus is wired for technological communication.
While the arguments for teaching students a solid base of general education sound good, they aren't enough anymore, say many educators. Most schools in the corridor along the foothills say they look as far ahead as they can to prepare their curricula with a view to upcoming trends in technology. Pasadena City College sends out industry surveys and talks to advisory committees before planning new courses. The college's occupational training programs take advantage of grant-funded opportunities to develop new courses or make revisions in existing ones. Several faculty members have used grant funding to upgrade their workplace skills, incorporating what they've learned into their classes.