LEWISTON — Student trainers from the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College, in collaboration with the Androscoggin Chamber of Commerce, will present four free community workshops from 2 to 5:15 p.m. Thursday, May 1.

The workshop presenters are students in the training and development course. Instructor Leigh Mundhenk, PhD, describes the workshops as valuable and timely for many people in the community. They are also an excellent learning opportunity for the students, Mundhenk added, who really benefit from the opportunity to develop and assess their training skills.

The workshops are as follows:

“Conflict Management: Preserving Relationships Through Negotiation,” from 2 to 3:30 p.m. When conflict arises in relationships, effective use of conflict management strategies, such as negotiation, is important for maintaining relationships. The program is designed to help participants develop skills to manage conflict.

“Ethics in the Workplace: How Do We Do What’s Right?” from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Employees in organizations are frequently called upon to make ethical decisions, and there is often more than one appropriate solution. The program is designed to help participants be better prepared to evaluate difficult issues and make good decisions.

“Working with Difficult People: Was It Something I Said?” from 3:45 to 5:15 p.m. Understanding personal communication styles can help prevent minor disagreements from evolving into larger, long-term interpersonal problems. The program is designed to help participants understand their personal communication styles and improve their interpersonal communication skills.

“Performance Feedback: Dealing with Employees Effectively” from 3:45 to 5:15 p.m. Employees rely on their supervisors to assess their performance in a constructive way, yet many supervisors feel uncomfortable giving constructive feedback. The program is designed to help participants develop effective methods of delivering meaningful performance feedback.

All workshops, free, will be held at Lewiston-Auburn College, Westminster Street. To register or for information, contact Syd Danforth at 753-6547 or e-mail [email protected]. Advance registration is required.