Local Business Leaders Find Value in SBCC’s International Trade Skills Course

SANTA BARBARA — Successfully running a business in today’s economic landscape can be challenging, but exporting products and expanding to international markets can provide the revenue boost companies need to succeed. While the thought of navigating various regulations may seem complicated, having Certified Global Business Professionals (CGBP) on staff, or becoming CGBP-certified, is a good place to start, and SBCC’s Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation can help.

Santa Barbara City College is offering an eight-week, online course that will give local business professionals the tools and resources needed to begin or expand exporting, and prepare them for the Certified Global Business Professionals exam and certification, an industry standard credential.

International Trade Skills for Global Business Professionals (IBUS 210) starts October 22nd and provides a detailed overview of the skills required for a career as a global business professional. IBUS 210 is also a certified preparatory class for the CGBP exam, offered through the National Association of Small Business International Trade Educators (NASBITE).

Many local business and international trade experts have already taken this course to prepare for the exam and become more valuable assets to their organizations.

Megan Cullen is the International Sales & Marketing Consultant for Soilmoisture Equipment Corp. in Goleta, owner of SYV Consulting & Marketing, and a member of the District Export Council of Southern California. She also has nearly 40 years of experience in international trade, but even with her impressive résumé, Cullen still knew she would benefit from taking the CGBP prep course and exam.

“After I took this course and earned the CGBP credential, I encouraged others on my team to do the same, and I quickly noticed increased levels of confidence across the board,” Cullen said. “The CGBP credential is the industry standard for companies with international reach.”

Julie Samson is the Director of the SBCC Scheinfeld Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Director of the Santa Barbara Small Business Development Center, Deputy Sector Navigator for the Center of International Trade & Development, and has more than 20 years of experience as a small business owner. She has also helped hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs develop their business ideas and achieve business milestones, and she believes that taking IBUS 210 and the CGBP exam is a milestone every local entrepreneur should strive to accomplish.

Samson said, “I recently took the CGBP exam myself and can tell you from personal experience just how valuable the IBUS 210 course content is. The CGBP certification is an industry standard credential and demonstrates that someone understands the global supply chain. Any entrepreneur or global business professional will benefit from taking this course.”

IBUS 210 Course details: International Trade Skills for Global Business Professionals (IBUS 210, CRN# 37694): Online, 6.8 hours per week, starts October 22, 2018. Provides a detailed overview of the skills required for a career as a global business professional. Also designed as a preparatory course for those wishing to apply for the NASBITE CGBP designation (www.NASBITE.org).

IBUS 210 is taught by Ray Bowman, Director of the Ventura County Small Business Development Center.

To apply and enroll, visit www.sbcc.edu/apply, or contact Scheinfeld Center Director Julie Samson at jasamson@sbcc.edu to learn more. Click here to learn more about the CGBP credential.

About the Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation: The SBCC Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation is a hub for global entrepreneurial development within the South Central Coast community and is a resource for model programs for other California community college districts. The Scheinfeld Center, part of the Jack & Julie Nadel School of Business & Entrepreneurship at SBCC, trains global entrepreneurs using a comprehensive approach to academics, hands-on experience, and support. Participants can build their business in the classroom and shore up gaps in their entrepreneurial skill set through the Scheinfeld Center’s distinctive combination of coursework, business plan and pitch competitions, industry internships, no-cost business consulting, mentoring, networking, and post-start-up support through the Small Business Development Center. To learn more, visit www.scheinfeld.sbcc.edu or call 805.965.0581 ext. 3643.

About Santa Barbara City College: Founded in 1909, Santa Barbara City College currently serves approximately 15,000 students each semester who enroll in courses for transfer preparation, career education, and foundational skills. SBCC was the 2013-2015 national co-winner of the prestigious Aspen Institute Prize for Community College Excellence. The college was recognized for its quality and focus in four areas: facilitating underrepresented and minority student success, student learning outcomes, degree completion and transfer rates, and labor market success in securing good jobs after college.

Our Mission: As a public community college dedicated to the success of each student…

Santa Barbara City College provides students a diverse learning environment that inspires curiosity and discovery, promotes global responsibility and fosters opportunity for all.