Amazon partners with LCCC for new courses

7colleges across the nation were selected to partner with Amazon for new business courses. LCCC is one of them.

Seven colleges across the nation were selected to partner with Amazon for new business courses, and Lorain County Community College is one of them.

The Amazon Small Business Academy will begin offering thousands of entrepreneurs the opportunity to learn digital strategy and brand-building schools through events and webinars and community college classes, according to a news release.

Matthew Poyle, program coordinator for NEO LaunchNET at LCCC, recently went to Amazon headquarters in Seattle to discuss the program.

“When I was in Seattle,

I had an overview of the small businesses academy and the culture of the company,” Poyle said.

The classes will cover the fundamentals of online business strategies, marketing, merchandising and inventory management. The curriculum will provide varying hours of beginner, intermediate and advanced content.

Poyle said the beginner curriculum will have two sessions that are two hours, the intermediate curriculum will have three sessions that also are two hours and the advanced section will have three sessions that are 2 1/2 hours long.

“These are not for credit courses and they’re open to all students, regardless of year or major,” Poyle said. “Our classes start on March 25.”

The content was created in collaboration with the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship.

The release noted that LCCC is one of two lead NACCE lead schools. The other is North Idaho College.

Poyle said he thinks it’s an amazing opportunity for the students and the college.

“It’s an honor and it’s very, very cool to be working with them,” he said. “I think it’ll benefit the students because they’ll be provided access to Amazon’s training and learn how to sell on their website.”