Page 15 - BusinessWest September 18, 2023

medical interpreting to two new HR workshops on “Leveraging Assess- ments with the New World of Work” (more on these later).
In each case, the motivation is the same, Hayden said — to help individu- als advance and enable companies to be efficient and productive, and also recruit and retain employees when businesses in all sectors are still strug- gling to do so.
“We take a broad approach to pro- fessional development at HCC,” he explained. “We do certificate and train- ing programs in management, leader- ship, and IT, and then we have a num- ber of programs aimed specifically at careers, like our introduction to book- keeping or, in the IT field, an introduc- tion to networks.
“We have a certificate in business communication, which is online, and also one in innovation and critical thinking,” he went on. “There are a number of areas, and depending on the needs and interests of the individ-
“We put an emphasis
on trying to find those occupational skills that managers, business owners, and professionals need to successfully grow their company, grow their employees, increase productivity, or increase employee satisfaction.”
ual, we can accommodate many other things they may be looking for.”
Getting Down to Business
Hayden, who came to the college after many years working for the city of Holyoke in economic-development roles, said HCC — like all the region’s community colleges — plays a criti- cal role in workforce development in the region. And that role extends well beyond providing the traditional two- year degree programs which, in the case of HCC, often lead to transfer to four-year programs.
Indeed, it extends to continuing education, non-credit programs, and initiatives that, as he said earlier, involve professional development for the individual and initiatives aimed at helping businesses of all sizes become more competitive and productive.
“Oftentimes, when we think of workforce training, especially at com- munity colleges, we tend to focus on occupational skills,” he explained. “And although those are necessary, they’re often related to specific tasks.
So we put an emphasis on trying to find those occupational skills that managers, business owners, and pro- fessionals need to successfully grow their company, grow their employ- ees, increase productivity, or increase employee satisfaction.
“And in some sense, increasing productivity and increasing employee satisfaction are companions in that same effort,” he went on. “Sometimes we think of them as separate; when
we think about how to make sure our employees are happy and satisfied,
we go to the issue of compensation, instead of focusing on the issue of job satisfaction, having pride in one’s work,
and ownership of the project or service they provide. So we try look at profes- sional development as a way to broad- en the scope or mindset of the employ- ee and have them look at the picture in terms of just not making something or doing a service, but having that be part of their own career goals and pathway.”
With these goals in mind, the col- lege has offered a women’s leadership lunch series featuring area women business leaders talking about their success formulas, Hayden said, adding that this series, staged over six lunches, will likely return in the spring of 2024.
Overall, the college is continuously monitoring the business community
and the workplace, he explained,
with an eye toward creating pro- grams to address emerging needs and challenges.
Such is the case with the new HR workshops on assessments, which will be led by Lynn Turner, president of CORE XP Business Solutions Inc.
“These are designed to help orga- nizations understand how to leverage assessments within the future of work — how to assess and evaluate employ- ees in a way that increases productivity and increases teamwork, communica-
HCC
Continued on page 36
>>
Kittredge
Center
FOR BUSINESS & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
HCC equips organizations of all sizes to succeed. Our professional development training events and services will help your organization:
• Operate at more lean and profitable levels.
• Deliver premier customer service.
• Maintain quality control while being innovative and creative.
• Meet the demands of owners, stakeholders, and employees.
• Capture and leverage organizational expertise through knowledge
management.
Programs include:
• Leadership
• Communication
• TeamWork
• IT Training Solutions
• Marketing
• Bookkeeping
We are a certified Workforce Training Fund vendor.
Email or call Jeff Hayden at [email protected] or 413.552.2587.
hcc.edu/kc
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