Tulsa World: Osage casino helps staff in college

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Osage casino helps staff in college
It makes them better employees, casino says.

Trish Kerkstra, a part-time Tulsa Community College instructor, speaks during her casino hospitality and gaming class at the Osage Million Dollar Elm Casino executive offices. SHERRY BROWN / Tulsa World

By SARA PLUMMER World Staff Writer
Published: 11/2/2009 2:19 AM
Last Modified: 11/2/2009 3:56 AM

Earning a bachelor's degree was something Pam Shaw started years ago, but being a working mother put that goal on hold.

Shaw, director of guest service assurance at Osage Million Dollar Elm Casino, has also worked as a casino general manager at another Osage property. She now has a bachelor's degree in business management with help from her employer and has her sights on a master's degree.

"With the company offering the classes, how could you not take advantage?" she said.

Osage Million Dollar Elm Casino offers employees the chance to earn certifications from Tulsa Community College in hospitality, restaurant management and gaming operations/protection.

To earn the certificates, students must complete 18 hours of classes that are offered at the Osage executive offices.

The casino will pay for college classes as long as the employee has been working for at least a year and is in good standing.

Patrick O'Brien has a bachelor's degree in business management from Oklahoma State University, and he recently earned his gaming operations/protection certificate.

"Coming from Oklahoma State, I could relate (to the business classes), but there were some things in the gaming classes that opened my eyes," said O'Brien, who is a regulatory compliance supervisor for Osage Million Dollar Elm Casino.

O'Brien's final project was to create a casino using the lessons he learned from previous projects in the classes.

"We name it, come up with a marketing

plan, operations like how many slot machines and how many table games. It's the goals of your casino," he said.

Gornie Williams, an associate dean for business and information technology at TCC's West Campus, said TCC first started a similar program with Cherokee Nation Enterprises and still offers classes on-site or via teleconference.

"More and more people are interested in pursuing their education," Williams said. "Many people who have gone on and got their degree are moving up in their company."

John Shaw, the manager of training and development at Osage, said his hope is that the certification classes are a first step for employees to go on and earn associate and bachelor's degrees.

"Anything to help them better themselves," he said. "Some employees look at it as an opportunity to advance in the company. I see them continuing to learn. It just makes them better employees."

The casino pays for most, if not all, of the costs of classes as long as the degree they are pursuing pertains to something in the Osage company, John Shaw said.

Williams said that unlike Cherokee Nation Enterprises, which reimburses employees for classes, the Osage Million Dollar Elm pays for the classes up front so employees face little or no cost.

"The Osage (casino) has really stepped up," he said. "They see their employees as valuable assets worthy of investment."

The investment in Pam Shaw, who now has her bachelor's degree, is already paying off. She has also started teaching some of the certification classes.

"With my gaming management experience, I felt like I could teach them something," she said. "It was very nice being on that side of it."

Sara Plummer 581-8465
sara.plummer@tulsaworld.com By SARA PLUMMER World Staff Writer

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What the ?, OK (11/2/2009 8:52:40 PM)

Oh, Archie Wright,aka Cherokee1 you are so pathetic.

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