The Cambria County commissioners have teamed up with a local community college to offer free classes to those who want to improve their managerial skills.

The goal is to make the county and its employees better through education. Several managers told 6 News that knowledge is power, which is why they're taking advantage of this opportunity.

The commissioners are taking on the new approach this year to make its county managers stronger skilled. Instead of approving the budge at what they call a line-item level, they went through a cost center level.

Commissioner president Doug Lengenfelder said, "That means a manager now within that Cost Center has the right to move dollars around to better utilize the assets to accomplish their job."

Managers said they feel positive about the decision.

Steve Kocsis, Geographic Information Systems director, said, "They give you a high-level approach and they leave it up to you to make it work. And, honestly, that's them putting their faith in their staff, their managers."

To help guide these managers in becoming better decision makers the commissioners have partnered with the Pennsylvania Highlands Community College. Starting in February, there will be a once a week, four-hour class that managers or potential managers can take for free for seven weeks.

Lengenfelder said the program will include "classes on things that manager should know and understand. Something like how do you do an appraisal, how do you put together a budget but also how do you execute a budget."

Joanne Ranck, director of the Tax Claim Bureau, said, "I think the responsibility and the management are still there and all the same. It's just, it would be so much easier when we have the tools and education to help us manage easier and better."

Kocsis added, "I think it's a chance to network with your other managers and your other counterparts and it's a chance to offer better service, not only as our job and to our staff, but also into the responsibilities we have as managers."

These types of classes will be offered throughout the year at Penn Highlands. If the program proves to be successful, officials said they hope to continue these types of courses in the future.