This week Eastern’s Buisness and Technology Institute announced their upcoming workshop “You’re Hired!”

The workshop is a positive spin-off of Donald Trump’s popular reality series, “The Apprentice.” The exception is President Lou Hencken will play the role of Trump.

The workshop is designed to teach senior business majors the work skills that employers seek. Behavior and work style, teamwork, and professionalism are all imperative to a successful career, but these things cannot always be learned in the classroom.

“In designing the program, we’ve talked to business executives and recruiters about the struggles surrounding the boardroom, and where the gap needs to be filled,” said Jeane Dau, director of the Business and Technology Institute.

The six-session workshop will be facilitated by a panel of human resource professionals, job recruiters and business executives who intend to teach the participants the street-smart skills not taught in the classroom.

“The goal of the workshop is to not only prepare students to find a job, but to also help them develop confidents. We’re teaching student how to present themselves professionally,” said Kathy Schmitz, director of the Student Center for Academic & Professional Development.

Among the workshop facilitators is Eastern alumni Stan Hollen, CEO, Co-op Financial Services, who worked closely with the College of Business to fund and conceptualize the project.

“His story is a real interesting one,” said Schmitz. “Since returning to Eastern the past couple of years, Hollen feels respect to the programs here and wanted to give back to the students something that the school had given to him.”

Another important facilitator is Pam Shake, a Decatur resident, who founded ELS Unlimited Inc., which has designed and delivered team development training in central Illinois since 1996.

Because this workshop is new and involves a high level of participant activity, enrollment is limited to a maximum of 25 students. Students must be senior business majors. Cost of attendance is $59 and the registration deadline is Sept. 20.