ATI Courses Logo

Training Rocket Scientists

Since 1984 Sign up for Enews

Category: Business

Engineers and Technical Training Providers Must Remain Relevant

Posted on by Bob
IT would be an understatement to say that one needs to keep current in his or her field in order to excel in their profession.  One of the best ways to keep current would be ongoing technical training.  This training could come from Applied Technology Institute (ATI), or from any of our fine competitors. It […]

IT would be an understatement to say that one needs to keep current in his or her field in order to excel in their profession.  One of the best ways to keep current would be ongoing technical training.  This training could come from Applied Technology Institute (ATI), or from any of our fine competitors.

It would also be an understatement to say that a technical training company must strive to offer courses which reflect the current needs of students, and the company must offer courses that contain current and relevant material for students.  ATI strives to do just that.

One example of a new offering by ATI is “Business Essentials For Scientists and Engineers”.  This course is comprised of 5 one-day modules which teach Scientist and Engineers the soft skills associated with their profession.  Students learn Project Management Skills, Business Basics, and Publishing Strategies.  The material students learn is critical, but not typically taught in most Undergraduate or Graduate Programs.  This course is a must for people who are interested in more than just the pure technical aspects of their project.  The course was developed based on a stated need from our students.

While the soft sciences taught in this course are important, ATI is still a leader in technical short-course training to help you keep current in your field.  ATI recently identified that there may be a need for a short-course training on Sonobuoy Technology.  Based on that need, we have developed just such a class, to fill that void, and will be offering it next month.

If you or your company has a need for technical training, and you are having trouble finding a Training Vendor who offers that training, please don’t give up.  ATI would love to hear about your needs, and we hope to be able to develop the training you are seeking.

To learn more about both of these new offerings at ATI, or to learn about our many other offerings, please visit our page at www.aticourses.com  .  If you would like to talk to us about your training needs, contact information can be found at the same site.

ATI Wants To Talk To You at the Space Symposium Next Week

Posted on by Bob
Who is going to the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs next week?  It should be a wonderful opportunity to learn and network in the Space Technology arena. Applied Technology Institute (ATI) is a known leader in Technical Training for Scientists and Engineers, and is attending the conference for two important reasons. First, we are looking […]

Who is going to the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs next week? 

It should be a wonderful opportunity to learn and network in the Space Technology arena.

Applied Technology Institute (ATI) is a known leader in Technical Training for Scientists and Engineers, and is attending the conference for two important reasons.

First, we are looking for Companies who may want to start using ATI to satisfy their Technical Training needs.

Second, we are looking for individuals who may want to join the ATI team, to teach courses for us.

We will be walking around and meeting people, but we also welcome the opportunity to email with you prior to the conference, and schedule a meeting over coffee while at the conference, so we can learn a little more about each other.

Please take a look at our web page at www.aticourses.com

Please reach out to me ( bob@aticourses.com or 410-428-9919 ), before the conference, or at the conference, and let’s talk. 

We look forward to hearing from you.

Business Management for Scientists and Engineers

Posted on by Bob
Historically, Applied Technology Institute has delivered scientists and engineers technical courses to help them keep current in their fields.  As stated in our mission statement, we have offered courses in satellite communications, space, defense, radar, sonar and acoustics, signal processing, and systems engineering.  Although we plan to continue doing exactly that, we are also going […]

Historically, Applied Technology Institute has delivered scientists and engineers technical courses to help them keep current in their fields.  As stated in our mission statement, we have offered courses in satellite communications, space, defense, radar, sonar and acoustics, signal processing, and systems engineering.  Although we plan to continue doing exactly that, we are also going to be offering some new courses that will be unlike what we have offered before. 

“Business Management for Scientists and Engineers” will be taught by Dr. Alan Tribble, author of the book with the same title.  This two-day course is intended to accelerate professional growth by helping individuals with a technical background develop an appreciation for, and understanding of, the types of business knowledge used by senior leadership. 

A recent inquiry to ATI suggested that a general business management class such as ours would be of limited usefulness because it would concentrate more on general business practices rather than business practices the workplace where the inquirer worked.  He was more interested in the ways that his own company conducted internal business management, and he argued that he could better spend his time taking an internal course concentrating on business practices at his own company. 

We discussed his concern, and he soon came to realize he was thinking about it all wrong.

General business management class like ATI’s and the internal business management classes are not meant to be mutually exclusive.  In fact, the best way for a Scientist or Engineer to learn about business management is to first learn about general business management topics that apply to all Engineering Firms, and then to learn about specific practices from your own company by taking an Internal course offered by your employer.  The general business management class offered by ATI and the business management class offered by your employer are complementary.  Ideally, a scientist should take both classes to be fully versed on business management practices he may encounter daily.

If you think you may be interested in taking the ATI course “Business Management for Scientists and Engineers”, ATI has a way that you meet the instructor and learn about the course content before you make your decision.  Consider attending the free one-hour virtual short-session where the instructor will talk about the topic, and discuss course content.  If you want to register for the free short-session, or the full course, you can find more information or register here. 

Both the short session and the full class are right around the corner, so please don’t delay.

And, as always, if you want to see the full set of courses offered at ATI, please visit us at www.aticourses.com.

Don’t Miss Out On This

Posted on by Bob
ATI will be offering Business Management for Scientists and Engineers for the first time on May 24. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to get some great insights from our two esteemed Instructors, Dr. Alan Tribble and Mr. Alan Breitbart. Business Management for Scientists and Engineers will help technical professionals understand how to leverage technical excellence to create […]

ATI will be offering Business Management for Scientists and Engineers for the first time on May 24. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to get some great insights from our two esteemed Instructors, Dr. Alan Tribble and Mr. Alan Breitbart.

Business Management for Scientists and Engineers will help technical professionals understand how to leverage technical excellence to create business success. The course is focused on conveying an understanding of basic business principles and illustrating how they intersect with the technical factors that govern an engineer’s career. This knowledge can make you a more effective engineer, by showing you how to tailor your message to address the key points business leaders look for when making decisions. It can also create opportunities to transition from the role of a technical contributor to that of a business leader. Most of the examples used are from the aerospace and defense industry, but the key lessons would apply equally well to other industries. 

The Instructors for this course are excited about this class.

Dr. Alan Tribble is an Associate Director of Program Management in the aerospace and defense industry. He started his technical career as a space environment effects specialist for a major spacecraft manufacturer and also supported airborne communications and navigation products before making the leap to the business side. He spent several years in international business development before moving into program management. He holds a B.S. in Physics from the University of Arkansas, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Iowa; is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) by the Project Management Institute; and is the winner of the 2008 James A. Van Allen Space Environments Award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. 

Mr. Alan Breitbart is a business development manager in the aerospace and defense industry. He holds a B.S. in Finance from the University of Illinois, and an MBA in International Marketing from Loyola University.

A message from Dr. Tribble………

I’m pleased to report that the second edition of the book Business Management for Scientists and Engineers is finally in press. That means it’s now full speed ahead as we focus on updating and finalizing the presentation material for the course.  

I’m getting excited now that we’re only a month away, and I get even more excited when I get email like the one below that I received over the weekend:  “Having provided engineering services and consulting for a long time, I learned the value of knowing something about business. But I wish that I had started with your webinar or book 20 years ago!” – Mark Pittelkau, Aerospace Control Systems, LLC

Wow! What a great endorsement. I’m looking forward to a great webinar on May 24th and 25th. Hope you can join us.

Please visit Business Management for Scientists and Engineers – ATI Courses to learn more about the course, and to register to attend.

We hope to see you there.

Public Speaking For STEM Professionals

Posted on by Bob
I was a very quiet and shy kid, and I think that must have been evident to the adult Scout Leader that was presenting a lecture to a large group of early teenage Boy Scouts attending Leadership Training back in the 70’s.  The lesson on this one day was Public Speaking, and the leader’s goal […]

I was a very quiet and shy kid, and I think that must have been evident to the adult Scout Leader that was presenting a lecture to a large group of early teenage Boy Scouts attending Leadership Training back in the 70’s.  The lesson on this one day was Public Speaking, and the leader’s goal was to demonstrate the importance of being well-prepared when delivering a speech.  As an object lesson, the instructor had found a charismatic kid the day before, and directed that kid to prepare a speech on some subject of the kid’s choosing, and to be prepared to deliver that speech on this day.  He was to become the example of a well-prepared speech.  On class day, the leader singled me out of the group, called me to the front, and announced that I would give a speech on a topic that the leader chose for me, and I was to start speaking immediately.  Needless to say, the speech did not go well, and I became his example of a not-well-prepared speech.  It was a horrifying experience for me, and no Scout Leader would do something so thoughtless to a kid today, but as horrifying and embarrassing as it was for me that day, it was also a memorable and important event which I still remember vividly over 50 years later.

After attending college, I got a job which required that I present the results of my work to the customer on a routine basis.  My first presentation did not go very well, and although I did not get fired, both my boss and I decided that there was lots of room for improvement.  That night, while thinking about what went wrong, I realized that I had fallen into the trap that my Scout Leader had warned against.  I had given that presentation without being prepared for all possible eventualities.  I had not been prepared to proceed if my overhead projector did not work, and it didn’t.  I had not been prepared to cover some topics in the event that my associate missed his flight, which he did.  And, I had not been prepared to answer some tough questions which my customers may have asked, and they did.  Over the span of my career, I worked hard to always be better prepared when I spoke, and I eventually became very proficient at public speaking.  In fact, later in my career, I started teaching, an occupation that requires public speaking skills more than any other, in my opinion.

STEM professionals need to be proficient in Public Speaking just as much as any other professional worker.  Although many STEM students are academically gifted, many may also lack social skills that other students take for granted, for example, Public Speaking.  For that reason, Public Speaking Instruction is a very important component of a STEM student’s coursework in all levels of schooling, and even in the professional workplace which follows schooling.  One can never be too smart in their social skills, or over -prepared to deliver a good speech.   

Applied Technology Institute has offered technical short courses for scientists and engineers since 1984.  This year, ATI has decided to start offering non-technical short courses that can also be very important for scientist and engineers.  One of our first non-technical offerings is a class on Public Speaking.  The course will be taught by Mr. Frank DiBartolomeo, award winning public speaker, engaging seminar leader, and professional public speaking coach.  His short course will be titled “Technical Presentation Skills for STEM Professionals.”  Although the full course will be offered in April, there will be a free one-hour short session offered virtually in March.  This will be an opportunity to meet the instructor and see what is covered in the full course.  If you would like to learn more about the free session, or the course, or register for either or both, you can do that here.

As always, a full listing of ATI Courses can be found at www.aticourses.com

ATI Will Be Giving You The Business in 2022

Posted on by Bob
Historically, Applied Technology Institute has delivered technical courses to scientists and engineers to help them keep current in their fields.  As stated in our mission statement, we have offered courses in satellite communications, space, defense, radar, sonar and acoustics, signal processing, and systems engineering.  Although we plan to continue doing exactly that in 2022, we […]

Historically, Applied Technology Institute has delivered technical courses to scientists and engineers to help them keep current in their fields.  As stated in our mission statement, we have offered courses in satellite communications, space, defense, radar, sonar and acoustics, signal processing, and systems engineering.  Although we plan to continue doing exactly that in 2022, we are also going to be offering some new courses that will be unlike what we have offered before. 

As reported in the Harvard Business School’s Business Insights Blog, “To stay competitive in the job market, aspiring engineers and those who want to advance need a strong, diverse set of skills.”  The article continues saying “To meet job demand, it’s important they round out their experience and add important business basics to their skill set.”  And, “As engineers advance to senior positions, they acquire responsibilities like managing teams, projects, and budgets. To reach those positions and perform their duties effectively, they need to have a strong set of business skills.”  This article states precisely why ATI has decided to start offering courses to help scientists and engineers supplement the technical skills in their toolbox with other critical skills for success in today’s world.

The HBS Blog identifies seven areas that should be addressed in an engineer’s business training; Communication, Management, Creativity, Finance, Observation, Negotiation, and Ethics.  ATI will begin by offering two courses related to this discussion in 2022. 

The first course introduces many of the topics mentioned by the HBS Blog.  The course will be “Business Management for Engineers” taught by Dr. Alan Tribble, author of the book by the same title.  As stated by Dr. Tribble, “This two-day course is intended to accelerate professional growth by helping individuals with a technical background develop an appreciation for, and understanding of, the types of business knowledge used by senior leadership.”  A full description, as well as the schedule for upcoming offerings of this course can be found here on the ATI web page.

The second course will be more focused on one of the skills highlighted in the HBS blog.  The course will be “Technical Presentation Skills for STEM Professionals”, taught by Lt Col, USAF (Ret) Frank DiBartolomeo, Jr, author of the book “Speak Well and Prosper”.  As stated by Frank, “This two-day course for scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians (STEM) covers all the basics of sound technical presentation preparation and delivery.”  A full description, as well as the schedule for upcoming offerings of this course can be found here on the ATI web page.  This course will also be the subject of a free short session overview which is scheduled to occur in the lead up to the class.

Again, ATI will continue to offer the technical courses you have come to expect from us, but we are excited about these new courses that will give scientists and engineers the ability to broaden their horizons even more.  Please check back soon for additional business-related courses, and as always, please let us know if there are business topics you would like us to focus on next.