Inside BERKS businessSherry Rogers, Computer Teacher

Amity Intermediate Center, DBASD

A Learning Experience for Educators

Inside Berks business creates an opportunity for businesses and educators to collaborate.

Educators and businesses with similar interests are matched to create a learning experience to enhance real-life teaching in the classroom.

Information technology firm Founded 1978 Personnel includes nearly 200 IT professionals Seven locations - Reading, Bethlehem,

Philadelphia (Wayne) PA, Kalamazoo MI, Greenwood Village CO, and Mesa AZ

About

About

Three major business divisions– Managed Services and Infrastructure Solutions

Today's corporate networks have evolved from providing basic connectivity to delivering mission-critical access to business applications, unified communications, collaboration functions, and information.

– Software Development and Consulting The Software Development team designs and implements

business application systems. We can even train your organization on the new system. Services include data conversions, translations and replications.

About

– K-12 Solutions School Business Management Solutions

– The alio suite of products includes fund accounting, encumbrance accounting, general ledger, purchasing, accounts payable, accounts receivable, budgeting, finance, payroll, human resources, position control, salary administration and complete reporting.

School Student Management Solutions– PowerSchool is an innovator in the student information system

category, starting with the student at the center and building everything around helping each individual student succeed. Integral to the PowerSchool approach is ensuring administrators, teachers, students, and parents get real-time, web-based access to student information to make insight-driven decisions.

About

Business focus– Achieving and maintaining the highest degree

of alignment between clients’ business strategies and their application of information technology

– Working with organizations that use information technology as a strategic tool

“We believe that the future of a business is defined by how its information is managed.”

Professional Skill Requirements

Most of employees have Bachelor Degrees – Teaching– English– Communication

Entry level have minimum of Associate Degree

Technical Background and Certifications– Many tech positions require experience

“We offer premium tech support and services.”

Entry Level Opportunities

Many employees start out as call coordinators (direct phone calls)

Advancement possibilities Entry level low to mid $30 thousand

Benefits

Benefits begin the 1st day of employment Opportunities to work from home Medical – PPO Dental 401K Retirement plan

Benefits

Flexible spending account– Health care– Dependent care

Life and Disability Insurance Professional Development Holidays, Vacation, Sick

Benefits

Bi-annual performance review Yearly salary review Employee Assistance program Employee Referral Program

– $2,000 bonus paid if referral is hired– Additional bonus paid after completion after

six months of employment

Greatest Asset

Well trained and experienced employees focused on clients

Well informed clients Cutting edge technology Hard working team members

– Hard work starts at the top

Greatest Challenge

Keeping pace with technology advancements– Continual training/investment

Maintaining the best Weidenhammer team to service clients– Excellent employee benefit package

Greatest Challenge

Flexibility to operate in challenging economic times– Acquiring complementary businesses– Market positioning– Improve efficiency– Partnered with Cisco, Citrix, Datawatch, EDGE Document Solutions,

Edustructures, EMC, HP, IBM. identiMetrics, IronPort, LANSA, Lotus, Microsoft, Mid the Gap, Novell, Oracle, Panda, Pearson, Softdocs, Stratum Global, and VMware

Technology

Company utilizes cutting edge technology– IP communication system– Multiple servers including virtual servers– Laptops– Ability to work from home– Polycoms– Back up systems for back ups

What do we look for?

Excellent communication skills– Oral– Written

Interest in learning Accomplishments Motivation to tackle challenges Stability Ability to work in teams and dedication

– Sports participation– Musical background

Curriculum Connections

Career Awareness and Preparation– 136.1.5 D Describe the range of career training

programs in the community such as, but not limited to: web based training

– H Connect personal interests and abilities and academic strengths to personal career options.

Curriculum Connections

Career Acquisition (Getting a Job)– 13.2.5 A Apply appropriate speaking and listening techniques used

in conversation– E Apply to daily activities, the essential workplace skills, such as

but not limited to: Commitment Communication Dependability Health/safety Team building Technology Personal initiative Technical literacy Scheduling/time management

Curriculum Connections

Career Retention and Advancement– 13.3.5 B Explain the importance of working cooperatively

with others at both home and school to complete a task.– C Identify effective group interaction strategies, such as, but

not limited to: Building consensus Communicating effectively Establishing ground rules Listening to others

Curriculum Connections

Entrepreneurship– 13.4.5 B Discuss the entrepreneurial character

traits of historical or contemporary

A very special thank you to the following Weidenhammer employees for insuring

that my internship was a wonderful learning experience.

John Weidenhammer, President

Fred Marniak, Director, Human Resources

Sam Morgan, Director, Education Solution Division

Frank Heins, VP of Sales & Marketing

Joel Iswalt, Unit Manager, Internal Systems Network Administrator

Steve Radakovits, Unit Manager, Client Care Center

Barb Bender, Unit Manager, SIS Suupport

Kathy Dean, Unit Manager, alio Implementations

A very special thank you to the following Weidenhammer employees for insuring

that my internship was a wonderful learning experience.

Rhiannon Schaeffer, Business Analyst

Rick Finley, Director, Managed Services and Infrastructure

Mike Pascarell, Manager Solution Delivery

Chuck Zwicker, Manager, Commercial Sales and Marketing

Demetra Simotas, Unit Manager, SIS Implementations

Kathy Dean, Unit Manager, alio Implementations

Kate Moyer, Power School Support Ben Heins, alio Support

Jim Cox, Comptroller Charlie Bross, Program Analyst

Jim Bitler, Marketing Patti Thomas, Senior Editor

A very special thank you to the following Weidenhammer employees for insuring

that my internship was a wonderful learning experience.

And…

Barb Feeman, Manager, SIS Solutions

Thank you Barb for organizing and coordinating my internship at

Credits

http://www.hammer.net/ http://www.berksiu.org/Pages/

ProfessionalDevelopment_iBbProgram.aspx Making IT Simple – Weidenhammer

Employee Booklet