The Center for International Trade Development (CITD) was recently presented with the annual Skyline Shines award for their service and enhancement of Skyline College.
According to the school’s website, this award is designed to recognize individuals or groups who help Skyline to shine in terms of its quality of programs and services and its reputation for quality. Two awards are made annually, one to a member or group of the Skyline employees and one to a member or group from the community. CITD was given the internal award.
“What we do is we promote export activities from local small to medium sized companies to international markets, globally,” said Richard Soyombo, the director of CITD.
Such markets include Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Apart from working directly with small businesses, they have different programs that Skyline instructors can attend, which in turn upgrades curriculum and student knowledge.
The CITD also conducts a program called the Youth Entrepreneurship Program (YEP). This program targets youth from the ages of 14-27. YEP offers one-on-one counseling, seminars, and opportunities to win startup money for people that wish to become entrepreneurs.
“The program helps high school and college students interested in starting up their own business,” said YEP co-coordinator Pcyeta Jackson.
Additionally, YEP has helped create four entrepreneurial certificates in Automotive Technology, Cosmetology, Renewable Energy, and Early Childhood Education.
The CITD offers an internship campus.
“In this office the duties vary greatly,” said Allison Mello, Program Services Coordinator. “One moment, we’re anticipating the arrival of a foreign dignitary; in another we’ll be organizing an event for the school.”
She punctuated the need for a flexible self-starter who can handle multiple projects in the office.
One of the CITD’s major goals to try and globalize the Skyline campus, and beyond.
“Right now, when you graduate with an engineering degree, you never know the kind of job you’ll have,” said Soyombo. “You may work for Microsoft, but they might ship you to China or South Africa.
“How are you going to adapt if you don’t expose yourself to some kind of entrepreneurship or some kind of global program?” he added.
Increasing the international student population is another goal that the CITD has set for itself, with certain degree of success. They have doubled international student count from 28 to 56 and are aiming for more.
“They have really helped this college think through how we internationalize this campus,” said Dr. Regina Stroud, president of Skyline College.
Soyombo had a final bit of advice for Skyline students.
“Expand your horizon. Think more about entrepreneurship and about the global community.”
(This article photo caption has been edited due to a misspelling of YEP Coordinator Pcyeta Jackson name.)
