Course Catalog

HR0040 - PowerPoint 2010 has been redesigned to make it easier to create powerful presentations in a short amount of time.  Whether you are new to PowerPoint or simply new to the 2010 version, this course will offer you tips and tricks to make a professional, powerful presentation Participants will:

• Create a presentation quickly using the new 2010 features
• Format and manage slides
• Add effects

HR0195 - This class is intended to help new and existing users get up to speed quickly using Word 2007 (2010).  In class, the basics of the interface, printing, text formatting will be covered. Using hands-on exercises students will create a new document, work with document formatting tools and save and print documents. Participants will be able to:

• Explain and use the ribbon interface
• Create, edit and print a new document
• Open and save documents
• Customize the Quick Access Toolbar
• Become more familiar with advanced tabs and techniques in preparation for next class

HR0199 - Once you have mastered the beginning steps of Excel 1, it’s time to move to the next level. Learn techniques for creating profession looking documents. Proficiency in or completion of Excel 1  is recommended. Participants will learn how to:

• Create pivot table & charts.
• Import data.
• Protect data.
• Create hyperlinks.

HR0196 - Microsoft Excel is one of the most powerful and widely used spreadsheet applications available today. If you are new to Excel, new to the 2007 or the 2010 version, this course will offer hands-on training to master the basics and prepare you for the next level of 2010. Participants will learn how to:

• Use Quick Access Toolbar
• Create workbooks
• Find and replace data
• Format worksheets

HR0198 - Do you wonder if there is an easier way to do the tasks you do every day?  Do you enjoy learning how to work smarter and faster instead of harder? Then this workshop is for you.  Learn techniques, tricks and tools to make your documents more professional and have fun doing it. Prerequisite: MS Word  level 1 or basic fundamental knowledge

Participants will:

• Learn shortcuts to do everyday tasks.
• Improve on current Word skills.
• Have an opportunity to ask “how do you…?”

HR0100 - This course is designed to provide an overview of the County’s Civil Service Rules, and to create a greater understanding of the civil service merit process that  includes recruitment, testing, and certification.

Participants will:

• Become familiar with the role of the Civil Service Commission
• Understand the terminology used in the Civil Service Rules
• Leave with a greater understanding of the Civil Service Rules

HR0008 - This course offers supervisors and managers the opportunity to improve on their communication skills. Participants will review the communication process and receive tips on active listening skills. Participants will also learn how to use “the conflict protocol” and the four steps of assertive communication to manage workplace conflicts.

Participants will:

• Gain a better understanding of the communication process
• Learn to utilize active listening skills
• Be able to identify causes of conflict
• Use the conflict protocol to resolve workplace conflicts and coach others to do the same

HR0070 - This course is designed to help supervisors and managers understand their legal responsibilities in preventing and addressing discrimination and workplace harassment complaints.

New or first-time managers and supervisors are required to take this class within 6 months of appointment into a supervisory position to meet the legal requirements of AB1825.

Participants will:

• Become familiar with the  concept of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
• Understand the federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination
• Be aware of the County’s policies and procedures on discrimination and harassmen

HR0027 - This course discusses the do’s and don’ts of a hiring interview. Participants will learn the County’s hiring process and get helpful tips on developing interview questions and rating job applicants.

Participants will:

• Learn and understand the applicant referral process
• Be able to create a positive interview process
• Be able to document the interview thoroughly

HR0029 - This course reviews the definition, methods, and processes of progressive discipline. Individuals will learn how to apply discipline in a fair, equitable, and consistent manner. Participants will:

• Understand the formal definitions of discipline and progressive discipline 
• Realize the goal of disciplinary action
•  Be able to conduct a proper and thorough investigation

HR0030 - This course helps participants understand the challenges and responsibilities of a leader and learn the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership.

Participants will:

• Develop a better understanding of their  personal leadership strengths and skills
• Learn how to enhance their leadership skills.
• Develop personal leadership goals

HR0101 - This course provides participants with a general overview of the County’s leave policies and the various state and federal laws that provide “protected leave” to County employees. Topics such as Military Leave, Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Pregnancy Disability Leave, Paid Family Leave, Leave of Absence and eligibility requirements for these benefits will be discussed throughout the training.

Participants will:

• Gain a working knowledge of the various County policies and laws related to employee leave
• Be able to identify which law applies when leave laws overlap
• Learn how to avoid common mistakes when administering employee leave

HR0052 - This course provides managers and supervisors with a basic understanding of their roles and responsibilities in the areas of employee safety and risk management.

Participants will:

• Be able to recognize and prevent employer liabilities.
• Develop a better understanding of the proper procedures to process Workers’ Compensation claims
• Learn to utilize Disability Management to assist injured employees to return to work

HR0057 - This course provides participants with general guidelines on conducting effective performance appraisals. Participants will also review the  County’s Civil Service Rules that address performance evaluations.

Participants will:

• Review the sections in the Memoranda of Understanding that relate to performance evaluations
• Gain a thorough understanding of Civil Service Rule 13
• Be able to conduct effective performance appraisals

HR0047 - This course will familiarize new employees with the County’s vision, mission, organizational structure and services, general workplace rules, diversity program, and other critical policies and procedures. This course includes representatives from the following organizations:

•  Human Resources Department
•  Equal Employment Opportunity Office
•  Risk Management
•  SJCERA Retirement
•  Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

HR0614 - This online course should be completed every 2 years. Taking the Information Security Awareness course: Securing the Human   Go to https://access.sans.org and enter your username and password. Your username is your employee ID number (this can be found on your paystub) and your last name in lowercase followed by @sjgov.org If your last name was Jones and your employee number was 123456, your logon name would be 123456jones@sjgov.org Your initial password is Welcome@1 After you log in, you will be prompted to change your password Passwords must be at least 10 characters long and contain 5 unique characters. Passwords must also include at least one of each of the following: number, uppercase letter, lowercase letter, and special character ( ! £ $ % ^ & * ( ) @ # ? < > .) Must not be a password you have used in the last 90 days Do not use the "I forgot my password" link, as it will not work. If you have any problems, please contact ISD Service Desk. Provide them your employee ID number and your last name. The ISD Service Desk can be reached by email at isdservicedesk@sjgov.org or by phone (209) 468-9742.  

HR0151 - Attendees will learn how to recognize and prevent discrimination and  harassment in the workplace. The training will also review Federal and State laws as well as County policies regarding discrimination and harassment. San Joaquin County’s Sexual Harassment Policies and Procedures and Civil Service Rule 20 will also be reviewed and discussed during the training.

Employees are required to take this class within 6 months from date of hire and repeat it every 5 years.

HR0130 - San Joaquin County is committed to fostering an environment of inclusion, equality, and  understanding that values diversity and respects the individual differences that enrich the workplace. This training provides all San Joaquin County employees the tools necessary to gain a deeper understanding and awareness of diversity.

Employees are required to take this class within 6 months from date of hire and repeat it every 5 years.

HR0001 - As a new employee of San Joaquin County, you have a wide variety of benefits available to you and your eligible dependents. The Benefits staff will be available to answer your questions and assist you in choosing the plans that best suit your needs at this workshop. The comprehensive benefits package includes:

• Medical, dental, vision and life insurance
• Flexible spending account options for dependent care and un-reimbursable health care expenses
• Deferred compensation program

HR0066 - This mandatory two-hour training is designed as a refresher class for all managers and supervisors who have taken the HRLA: EEO class. This course provides helpful tools and practical examples on how managers and supervisors should handle sexual harassment in the workplace. The two forms of sexual harassment are identified in this course as well as guidelines on how to prevent and correct sexual harassment situations in the workplace.

This course satisfies the legal requirements of AB 1825 and must be repeated every two years.

HR0119 - Designed for managers and supervisors, this class reviews the effective methods and techniques to diffuse potentially hostile situations. Attendees will also learn  the steps to take to ensure the physical safety of staff and clients in potentially hostile situations. Proper reporting and documentation will also be reviewed.

Managers and Supervisors are required to take this class within 6 months from date of hire and repeat it every 3 years.

HR0117 - All San Joaquin County employees are required to attend this class. Participants will learn effective methods and techniques to diffuse potentially hostile situations, how to recognize inappropriate and potentially violent behavior, and the steps to take to ensure the physical safety of staff and clients in potentially hostile situations.

Employees are required to take this class within 6 months from date of hire and repeat it every 5 years.

HR0701 - It's often easy to blame others for our anger, but we all choose how we react to situations. Being easily angered harms our personal relationships, whether at work, home or within our communities. This workshop explores why we resort to anger and teaches strategies for choosing healthier responses.

HR0702 - Adjusting to retirement is a multifaceted process. Once the reality of retirement has set in, it is important to develop goals and find activities that give each day purpose and meaning. There are many opportunities when you retire. What will be your new life path? This workshop provides suggestions for life-purpose planning as you enter your retirement years.

HR0704 - Effective communication is the foundation for solid working relationships. When people are heard and understood, they’re better able to work together for successful outcomes and develop win-win solutions. Through skill development and practice, this workshop helps participants enhance workplace communication.
Learning objectives:
After the workshop, participants should be able to:
- Understand the connection between good working relationships and effective communication.
- Describe key elements of a clear message.
- Identify and overcome challenges to getting the message across.
- Apply techniques for building rapport

HR0713 - It can be tempting for managers, supervisors and employees to avoid discussing difficult issues facing the organization. Though the issue may be on everyone's mind, people fear that addressing it would be awkward or confrontational. However, with tact, compassion and effective communication, we can deal with the elephant through direct and open discussions. Addressing difficult issues may not make them go away, but it can enhance team trust, cohesion and effectiveness.

Learning Objectives:
Understand what or who the elephant is.
Know when the elephant exists.
Address the elephant: risks and rewards.
Communicate effectively and strategically when both emotions and the stakes are high.

HR0715 - Maintaining an ethical workplace isn't just the responsibility of the leadership team - everyone can make a difference. In this workshop, participants examine their "real power" within their organization and how they can use that power to develop and maintain a culture of integrity.

Learning objectives:
Understand the role of influence within the job scope.
Apply information about ethical decision making.
Take steps to remedy an ethics gap.
Develop a network of ethically minded cohorts in the company.

HR0711 - It's not always easy for families to communicate well. Misunderstandings can develop in even the closest families, especially if parents fall back on unhealthy patterns that they learned when they were growing up. This program discusses the dynamics of communication within a family, and how to improve family interactions.

HR0712 - Over time, all of us have developed certain patterns of behavior - distinct ways of thinking, feeling and acting. Within the work environment, these behavioral patterns tend to fall into certain work style categories. Using the Work Style Inventory, you will develop an awareness of your own behavior tendencies and work style as well as those of others. In this workshop, participants will learn strategies to communicate and interact with others for maximum productivity and harmony in the work environment.

HR0635 Creating a Positive Work Environment

Presented by MHN

In an ideal workplace, people are committed to working together harmoniously. They treat one another with respect, work efficiently, and solve problems fairly. This workshop examines strategies for creating an effective, respectful and positive workplace. Participants work together to define their "ideal" workplace and discuss how to enhance their work environment.

Learning Objectives

After the workshop, participants should be able to:

• Define the ideal workplace.
• Reach agreements on work behavior.
• Know what to do when words fail.
• Provide support and encouragement.

HR0636 Creating a Work-Life Balance

Presented by MHN

The conflicting demands of work and home can create stress and zap the time and energy needed to get everything done. In this workshop, participants will work toward improved work-life balance by identifying competing demands on their time and assessing their central life goals.

Learning Objectives

After the workshop, participants should be able to:

• Handle multiple demands more effectively.
• Follow five steps to achieving balance.
• Identify internal and external stressors.
• Know how to use energy wisely.

HR0649 - In both our business and personal lives, most of us have come across people we would label "difficult." This workshop examines what makes people "difficult," how difficult people activate our emotional triggers, and how to mitigate conflict in response to difficult behaviors.

HR0651 - Today's job seekers may need to use various strategies to find meaningful employment. One of the most critical tools in a job search is a good interviewing technique. With strong interview skills, the job seeker can answer tough questions articulately and confidently and demonstrate their qualifications for the job. This workshop helps participants navigate the interview process - from pre-interview preparations to interview follow-up.

HR0710 - MHN's program provides information about nutrition and exercise basics to help participants reach - and maintain - a healthy weight.

HR0065 - In this class, participants will look at the role they play in a work team and how that helps the team operate more effectively. Participants will learn tools and strategies to better understand and deal with difficult team members.

Participants will learn how to:

• Work together effectively
• View  individual roles and responsibilities in a team
• Identify and choose effective strategies to help the team work cohesively
• Strengthen team productivity

HR0166 - The purpose of this course is to empower participants to prepare and deliver better presentations in terms of capturing, keeping and motivating the audience. Your delivery, confidence, organization, flow, and competence will increase from this course.

HR0145 - There's one thing we all have in common: problems. Here's something most people don't have in common: a systematic way to address problems. Instead, individuals and teams take a knee-jerk reaction approach that usually results in a "Band-Aid" instead of a real fix. This course is for anyone who solves workplace problems, especially on teams. It's especially helpful for avoiding the #1 cause of frustration on problem-solving teams: suggesting a solution before the problem is understood.

HR0660 - Objectives Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

Avoid the five most common new supervisor blunders

Establish trust and credibility with their team

Coach difficult behaviors

HR0714 - In the purest sense, a coach helps a person to achieve his/her own goals. Coaching draws out the best in a person, provides guidance and support. The leader who can successfully coach employees will generally get much better results than one who does not because it is a more collaborative relationship.
This is a course for manages, supervisors and team leaders who need to coach others.

HR0717 - Customer service is an attitude that needs to permeate every aspect of an organization. The way we think, plan, and act should be influenced by an attitude of pleasing our customers, both internal and external. This three-hour course is for everyone in the organization.

HR0161 Communicating with Tact and Diplomacy

Why does it seem that in the situations when we need to be the most diplomatic, words seem to fail

us? This class will help you develop techniques to manage your reactions to convey the message

you need to communicate and understand “meta” talk in communication.

Why does it seem that in the situations when we need to be the most diplomatic, words seem to fail

us? This class will help you develop techniques to manage your reactions to convey the message

you need to communicate and understand “meta” talk in communication. Why does it seem that in the situations when we need to be the most diplomatic, words seem to fail us?  This class will help you develop techniques to manage your reactions to convey the message you need to communicate and understand “meta” talk in communication.

HR0167 - Not every customer interaction is going to be a positive experience, but a strong customer service foundation can make difficult interactions easier to handle. This class focuses on the basics of customer service and helps participants develop a plan for positive interactions with customers.

Participants will :

• Define excellent customer service
• Be able to recognize the different difficult personality types
• Create an action plan to deal with angry customers

HR0629 - This is one of the most mystifying elements of life. While philosophers and scientists are pondering its secrets, you have already discovered the symptoms of time mismanagement that can lead to frustration and loss of motivation:

• No matter how hard one works, there's always too much to do
• A feeling that time has become a taskmaster
• Less and less satisfaction with work at the end of the day

This interactive course is for anyone who needs to master time and become more effective personally and professionally. The individual and team activities will stimulate interest and reinforce key concepts that you can apply right away.

HR0163 - This is a half-day seminar. This seminar will mostly benefit those employees who are mid-career oriented and will most likely work for the County at least another 10 years before retiring

The course will cover:

• Social Security
• County Health Care Benefits
• 457 Deferred Compensation

HR0026 - This half-day workshop teaches many of the practical steps that you need to take to prepare for imminent retirement. Spouses are welcomed to attend.

The course will cover:

• 37 Retirement Benefits
• Social Security Benefits
• Health Care Benefits
• Deferred Compensation
• Retired Employees

What Is National Retirement Security Week?

It is a week set aside each year to promote the importance of saving for retirement, no matter what your age.

MassMutual (the County’s Deferred Compensation Record Keeper), Hyas Group (the County’s new Deferred Compensation Consultant), and MHN (the County’s Employee Assistance Program vendor), will be hosting different workshops on deferred compensation and financial health topics, throughout the week, at multiple County locations.

There will be prize opportunities for those that attend a workshop, sign up as a brand new participant, and/or increase current contribution.

Click below for the workshop schedule.
National Retirement Security Week Workshop Schedule

HR0141 - Whether serving as a disaster worker for the County or dealing with an emergency, all  employees should know how to safely react  and respond. This class  identifies  conditions and hazards that may occur in San Joaquin County and the public services workplace.  This class is San Joaquin County Board mandated (please refer to section 1910 CAO manual), and also meets State and County requirements.

Employees are required to take this class only once.

HR0176 - This course is mandatory for all employees who operate a County vehicle or use their own vehicle for work  purposes. Through examples and skills exercises, participants will have an opportunity to review and sharpen their defensive driving skills.

Participants will:

• Learn defensive driving tips
• Learn how to perform a pre-trip check
• Recognize potentially unsafe driving conditions
• Recognize and avoid unsafe driving behaviors

Employees are required to take this class only once.

HR0160 - This workshop will cover some of the requirements for Department of Transportation commercial drivers as well as meet the County’s compliance standards. The County’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Policy requires that only trained managers (defined as Executive, Senior Management, Middle Management, Sheriff’s Management and Sheriff’s Sergeant) may refer employees for testing under reasonable suspicion. This training meets our County policy requirement.

HR0668 - This one day course will cover the emergency management frame- work, procedures to activate and sustain an “Emergency Operations Center,” and explain your role during an emergency or disaster.

This instructor-led course introduces county employees to the Incident Command System (ICS) and provides the foundation for higher level ICS training. This course, coupled with an on-line ICS- 200* course, meets the basic ICS training requirements for most county employees with a response role during a disaster or that may be pressed to work as a disaster service worker during an emergency incident. This course is the first step in understanding the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) and the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and covers the following courses in one-day of training:
- Introduction to the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS)
- ICS- 100: Introduction to the Incident Command System (ICS)
- IS- 700: National Incident Management System (NIMS), An Introduction
- IS-701: NIMS Multiagency Coordination System (MACS)
- IS-706: NIMS Intrastate Mutual AID, An Introduction
- IS-800: National Response Framework, An Introduction

This is an 5-hour course and is recommended for both line and supervisory staff. This is a one-time course.

*ICS-200, ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents, is also required for Disaster Service Workers, and is an on-line web based course from FEMA. Completion of the Combo course above and ICS-200 meets the requirements for most county employees with a disaster service worker role. Recommend this course be taken following the Combo course above.

HR0622 - The presentation covers the role of breathing in stress management, goes into the various types of meditation and offers practice of three types.

HR0328 - This is a behavior change based workshop. This class will review the behavior change process and skills for making a change. Take the first step toward a new you. participants will leave with a concrete plan for behavior change.

HR0716 - Work with a personal trainer to find the best fitness routine for you. This class will briefly review fitness guidelines and will help you take general fitness and exercise information one step further by developing a personalized plan that will help you see results.

HR0620 - This workshop describes the body's "stress response," how to identify stress, and helps participants combat these effects by providing an overview of stress management techniques. Participants will learn a short meditation.

HR0618 - How to perfect your communication style with anyone and how to convey the best intended message for maximum results.

HR0604 - Participants will not only learn the powerful affect that practicing gratitude can have on their overall life satisfaction, they will learn several effective ways to incorporate gratitude into their daily lives.

HR0621 - This is a behavior change based workshop. Learn the principles of good nutrition as they apply to basic good health and helping to lower the risk of developing certain chronic conditions. This class is also helpful for those wishing to further improve control of chronic conditions. Participants will leave with a concrete plan for behavior change.