The Community Learning Center (CLC), operated by the Greece Central School District 's Office of Community Education, has expanded services to local employers. As one of 16 Retail Skills Programs sponsored by the National Retail Federation (NRF) Foundation nationwide, the program teaches and endorses sales and service industry standards.

An 82 hour training program in Sales & Customer Service is offered at the CLC in the Greece Ridge Mall. Program participants sit for the National Professional Certification in Customer Service assessment at the conclusion of their coursework. The course was offered twice during 2004 and it is anticipated that interest will increase as customer service needs expand locally. National certification testing has been offered at the CLC since August 2004. Area employers may use the certification as a screening tool for new hires and for promotions for existing staff. NRFF has waived the test fee for some area employers to take the test to determine its validity for their businesses. Response has been positive.

During the past year, the Office of Community Education obtained a $10,000 mini- grant from NRFF to expand its outreach. As a result, an Employer Advisory Board was established. Membership is comprised of 16 employers, a Greece Chamber of Commerce representative, and CLC staff. It meets quarterly. In October, a Job Fair was held with 18 employers and 275 applicants participating. At employer request, a spring Job Fair will be conducted in March, 2005. As a result of a Loss Prevention Seminar, a Loss Prevention Cluster has been established and meets monthly at the CLC.

The Office of Community Education provides customized training for business/industry in customer service, computer skills, and other disciplines. Rockcastle Florist had a customer service training program customized to meet its needs: "Greece Community Education presented a wonderful program for Rockcastle Florist exceptionally tailored to our specific needs. After a brief conversation regarding areas we would like to cover, we were pleasantly surprised with the material and content! Thank you!" (Wendy Jones-Rockcastle, Co-owner)