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How does the
"virtual" classroom work?
How do I choose a VA training
program and what should it cost?
What are the minimum
requirements for admission to a learning team?
How is enrollment
handled?
How large are
the learning teams?
Will I receive any
college credit for this program?
Will you refer me to
jobs after completion?
VAU® was never created as a profit center to make money off of
the VA industry. Our passion is to help other VAs launch
successful practices. VAU® is a working model for a 501(c)3
ministry outreach program to train victims of domestic violence.
VAU® is a 2005 nominee for an award from
FastCompany magazine
for that program.
The late, Dr. Janet L.
Jordan™, MVA, PREVA and Bishop Sylvester Jordan, GVA,
PREVA both had successful VA practices. The cost of the
training was to cover expenses and to compensate them for time
away from their practices. The cost to attend VAU® is not considered a
tax deductible donation, since coaching is received for your
money.
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How can you afford
so many scholarships?
Fortunately, through our areas
of ministry
and the VA industry, we are associated with some wonderful people
who believe in what we are doing at VAU® . They are willing to make non
tax deductible contributions to test the working model for
our outreach training program. Victims of domestic violence attend VAU® at no charge. Most of the remaining participants attend at
25% off in exchange for feedback about our program as we
continue to set the training standard for the industry and turn
victims into victors. If you are a current victim of domestic violence, living in a shelter or safe
house, contact us or have your counselor contact us. There
is a process that we have in place to maintain your anonymity in
shelters or safe houses. You will be encouraged to freedom
and greatness by teammates who won't know your circumstances
unless you choose to share the information. Others who have
survived this experience may apply by furnishing proof of abuse
via a police report or letter from your counselor on their
letterhead.
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Teams will meet online in our virtual learning center every
other week for two hours of knowledge sharing and synergistic
discussion. Participants will work independently, or with a
coach during alternating weeks, while completing designated
projects.
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Look for the benchmark (standard) in the industry. Compare
the others against that standard. Although VAU® is not the
first to enter the VA Training industry, we are setting the
standard in technology, experience, quality and affordability.
Technology
-
It's not enough to offer telebridging, eBooks and email courses to train VAs.
The VA industry relies heavily on technology. Our training
utilizes the latest technology in web based collaborative
meeting rooms, small interactive learning teams, intranets and
other options that encourage the kind of supporting technology
that clients look for in conducting their businesses.
VAU's® exclusive Virtual Assistant Simulab© is a real time,
self-paced activity center that provides team
members with the opportunity to implement knowledge acquired
from learning team topics and reading assignments.
Experience -
VAU® collaborates with the highest caliber of subject matter
experts (SMEs)
to provide expert coaching and mentoring to our learning
teams. All coaches with private practices are
experienced and successful in their profession.
All non VA expert coaches are highly recognized professionals
in the corporate marketplace.
Quality
- Do your homework! Look at the curriculum, courseware content and credentials
of instructors.
Compare their experience and subject knowledge.
Are the
instructors experienced as trainers (no microwave wonders here at VAU® ) and
qualified to teach? Check their bios and
resumes
carefully. Make sure they have achieved success as a
VA, and didn't just choose to become a trainer or coach due to
a mediocre practice. If they are qualified and "walk the
talk," you will learn from them, if not you will only watch
them make presentations. Look for a comprehensive program that
will challenge you and provide learning opportunities.
Our industry requires comfortable operation of technology used
to accomplish strategic goals such as intranets, online, voice
interactive, real time, meeting rooms, application sharing and
more. Our classes utilize these tools and participants
incorporate these techniques into their individual practices.
Affordability - After quality, consider the cost. Don't fall for cheap
scams. You can't expect to train for a position paying $20-50
an hour, for the cost of a steak dinner, but you shouldn't
have to refinance your car either. Education is an investment
and the dividends received are proportionate to what
you
invest. Clients rely on experience and training. If you
don't have any, they will quickly discover it, and find
someone who does possess the right skill-set.
The normal
cost for the VAU® program is
$1,500.
The program is affordable, comprehensive and credible.
Books and
stationery for projects are extra. All of our leaders and
coaches are committed to helping you become a VA. Compare us with the others. You won't be disappointed
with VAU®
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Skill-set requirements include: At least two years recent full time experience as an
administrative or executive assistant. You need that
experience under your belt to handle the responsibilities of
supporting an executive or small business owner in a "virtual"
environment. The local VA water cooler cannot replace thinking
on your feet.
Hardware requirements include:
Computer setup with modem, duplex soundcard, phone line
separate from internet access and either a headset or
microphone and speakers to participate in the class.
Software
requirements include: MS Word 97, 2000 or XP professional, email
program supporting attachments. Your computer system
will be checked prior to you joining the team to make sure
that you can successfully work in the virtual environment.
Software requirements include: Proficient competency levels in software
applications used
in the practice. Software topics will not be covered in the
sessions. Resources for software certification will be
briefly discussed. The pursuit of Brainbench certification for
software skills is encouraged.
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Enrollment, administration and registration for VAU® Virtual
Assistant Training Program, is handled by
clicking here. The
twenty (20) week program includes four (4) weeks in our
Developing Action Plans self- paced classes, fourteen (14) hours
"virtual" online training and discussion time, ten (10) hours of individual
coaching. Participants are
expected to allow for time necessary to complete the
independent projects crucial to launching their practices
which will vary individually. Additionally, participants
will be able to attend special seminars and workshops as
availability permits. The cost also includes unlimited use of
our exclusive self-directed lab of simulated exercises. There
will be additional fees for office supplies and suggested
reading materials necessary to complete your individual projects.
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Learning teams are limited to a maximum of
ten participants
and the learning leader(s). The smaller team size will
facilitate greater opportunities for discussion and knowledge
sharing in our web based and voice interactive classrooms.
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This program is not intended for the purposes of fulfilling
any college curriculum. The focus is solely to coach you
through the preparation and launching of virtual assistant
practices for our participants through a series of consulting
workshops, seminars, discussions, projects and activities.
A certificate of completion will be issued along with
permission to display the required VAU® logo or banner. VAs
completing our program receive the designation of GVA,
Graduate Virtual Assistant. Many practicing VAs go on to
become certified by any one of several certification options. Completion of our course is recognized in
the certification process of
VACertification.com
which is an independent
certification organization that does not require membership to
become certified. Certification in the virtual assistant
industry does not require any formalized training in virtual
assistant work, but rather is based on a combination of
demonstrated excellence in education,
experience and/or successful completion of a certifying
examination. An excellent example of a standardized, validated
exam may be found
here. It is administered by IAAP. Although formal training is not required to
become a virtual assistant, we feel strongly that the more
training you have, the more successful and credible you will
be.
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VAU®
is not a school, but rather an online training/coaching
eAcademy site, offering a series of activities that will assist
those desiring to establish successful virtual assistant practices. The
activities consist of workshops, seminars, coaching,
discussions and other forms of knowledge sharing that will
benefit you greatly as you establish your practice. In many
states the issues of placement assistance after completion
fall into the guidelines of a school, and therefore,
require approval by the Higher Education Commission for their
states.
Potential clients contact us often regarding our graduates
because they are "top notch VA's", however, we will not be
advertising or promoting the program as a referral service.
It is important that VAU®
maintain a certain focus and not
become distracted by other issues. When we
receive inquiries, all participants will be notified via email
and postings in our private VAU®
intranet, with the particulars
of the request. It is our mission to be proactive as we
prepare you to secure partnerships with clients of
your
choosing, based on the strategic goals that you will establish
for your practice, not relying solely on clients finding you.
A special page has been created on the VAU®
campus for
graduates accepting clients into their practices. Click
here to visit the page.
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If you have other questions, please
contact us.
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