Marketing Relations and Networking

 A lot of high school students don’t know how hands on the marketing program is at Western Technical College. If you choose the marketing program at Western, you will immediately begin to network and build close relationships with small businesses in the area. What is networking you may ask? Networking is connecting and interacting with other people and business while creating a relationship at the same time. The networking that takes place helps to build your resume while at the same time learning, and fulfilling requirements towards graduation. This is different from other programs or schools that may not do as much networking within the community because other programs may not offer these hands-on projects until you are ready for internships.  Experience gained in real life situations makes the marketing program not only unique, but a fun place to learn.

A few networking projects done within the community are:
• Retail Sales Management– This years class is working with Fun Fur Pets and West Salem High School.  Groups of students are planning and researching the shelving space needed at Fun Fur Pets and a group is also researching the best products to fill that shelf space.  The winning groups idea will be implemented in the store.  The remaining students are working with West Salem High School in order to rearrange their ala carte line and boost sales.
• Marketing Research– This class completes a marketing research project each year that works closely with small businesses in the area. One project being completed by a group of marketing students is working with JavaVino. This group is reorganizing the way JavaVino collects data for their wine night and advertises this event as well as revamping their music nights in order to bring a younger demographic into the coffee and wine house.
• Marketing Management– This class will conclude your time at Western Technical College. The entire semester is dedicated to creating a marketing research plan for a business in the community and is considered your capstone project.  This final project should leave you feeling prepared to graduate and enter the marketing work force.

These are only a few examples of how the marketing program becomes involved within the community. Not only are these fun ways to learn marketing, but it’s a great opportunity to learn something with real life experience instead of learning from lectures and books.  Western Marketing Program is designed to give any high school student knowledge and experience to begin work immediately after graduation.