LIVERMORE FALLS — RSU 73 adult and community education will be offering the following classes in January. For more information or to register, call 207-897-6722, ext. 202.

Baking basics: An introduction to pastry arts for employment and home. This class will meet twice a week (Tuesday and Thursday) for 15 weeks. Class will be held at Spruce Mountain Adult Education Center, 9 Cedar St. Instructor will be Frank Maccarrone. The class will meet from 1 to 4 p.m., starting Jan. 27. Cost is $75.

Office assistant skills certificate: Microsoft Office Suite 2013 is the software that will be utilized in this class. This program will provide essential skills for an entry-level position in a variety of office settings.

During the semester students will cover keyboard review, Excel, PowerPoint and Publisher.

Keyboarding — Whether you are a beginner or proficient in typing, this review will help everyone improve their speed and accuracy.

Excel — Master one of the most utilized software program in the world. This powerful spreadsheet program lets you organize data, complete calculations, graph data and develop professional looking reports. This comprehensive course will take you step-by-step from the basics of Excel to using the more advanced functions. Discover dozens of shortcuts and tricks for fully formatted worksheets.

PowerPoint — In this presentation software program you will learn to cut, copy and paste, along with learning about different fonts to create slideshows. You will learn to import from other files like Word, Excel and the Internet.

Publisher — Publisher is used for many different projects – from completing professional brochures, to making cards or calendars, or creating a newsletter, this program will be helpful for any office environment. If you are working on an adult education diploma, this semester would count as one credit. Upon successful completion a certificate will be granted.

Instructor will be Linda Davis and the class will meet on Tuesday and Thursday, from 9 a.m. to noon starting Jan. 20. Cost is $75.

Retail sales certification (Semester 1): This 180-hour course will prepare participants specifically for entry-level retail sales positions. The course concentrates on effective customer sales and service. Upon successful completion of this course and national exam, students will be mailed a certificate from the National Retail Federation.

Designed as a certificate program, the course components include classroom participation, work experience and portfolio development. The EFF Standards for Adult Literacy and Lifelong Learning including communication, decision making, interpersonal skills and lifelong learning will be emphasized.

The first semester will include: 

Learn about self — In this section a learning styles inventory will be completed, review of careers in the retail field and complete self-assessments, self-evaluations, group evaluations and goal setting.

Get to know your customer — Greet customers, build relationships, determine customers’ needs and communicate.

Meet customer needs — Make shopping an enjoyable experience, be resourceful, know about additional services, accommodate customers with disabilities, balance time, build relationships over the phone, make and keep commitments to customers.

Build a continuing relationship — Honor warranties, know return policies, handle customer complaints.

Go the extra mile — Conduct customer follow-up, use business cards, follow the rules, maintain key information on customers, offer personal shopper services.

Instructor will be Linda Davis. The class will be held on Mondays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. starting Jan. 26. The cost is $75. At the completion of the class, students will be required to pay $75 to take the national exam.

Techsmart: Learn Microsoft Office Suite. Ideal for the person wanting to learn or refresh keyboard and computer skills. Four sessions will be offered covering five topics.

Session 1, keyboarding (four weeks). Learn the art of touch typing and enjoy the process of writing letters or emails without the headache of searching for the correct keys.

Session 2, Microsoft Word (four weeks) — Learn how to understand the menu tabs and the basics of Word.

Session 3, Microsoft Excel (four weeks) — Learn how to set up, design and complete a spreadsheet using basic applications. Formulas, charts and formatting spreadsheets will be emphasized.

Session 4, PowerPoint and Publisher (four weeks) — PowerPoint has become the industry standard for efficient presentations. Microsoft Publisher (three weeks) Publisher is a program designed to aid in designing your own calendars and cards.

Students may choose to take one or all four sessions. The first session is $30 and each additional session is $10. Instructor is Linda Davis and the class will meet on Wednesdays starting Jan. 28, from 4 to 7 p.m. for 15 weeks.