The Ohio Northern University Center for Corporate Engagement (CCE) provides a unique pathway to professional development for companies in the region. The first-of-its-kind training and leadership growth hub, launched in September 2022, collaborates with businesses to facilitate their employees’ development via a range of programs that run for either a single day or extend across several days.
The Center’s offering is broad, it includes tailored programs developed with individual companies in mind, and a more general Employee Development Academy. This allows employees from various organizations and industries to network and learn together. The Academy’s approach was the right fit for the regional branch of Wilson Sporting Goods Company where Amy Conway, the company’s people & culture manager, has been seeking ways of supporting her managers and supervisors to enhance their capabilities.
The Wilson branch in Ada, Ohio managed to engage its employees with the Center’s courses, four staff attended in the spring and another cohort is set for the fall. Conway reports that the teams at Wilson, which is a union operation with 110 union members among its 165 staff, derived benefit from comparing their supervisors’ and managers’ actions vis-à-vis their colleagues from other companies, whether unionized or not.
The CCE, helmed by director Carol Turchick, emphasizes in-person experiences and interactions. Online training can be useful for specific technical knowledge or a very narrow topic, but the Center’s approach aims to have a much deeper impact. Manager and leadership development themes are delivered in-person to maximize their effects.
Participants work in teams throughout the course, guided by a facilitator who steers them through various exercises. Here, they practice with the practical tools provided. The aim is to build participants’ confidence in their managerial abilities, especially for those transitioning into supervisory roles from individual contributor positions. Here, they may feel less assured in their people-leader skills, which the course addresses by offering practical skills to develop.
A series of consultations with regional companies, especially small to mid-size organizations, revealed wide interest in collaboration with the University on professional development. The Center’s programs are a good fit for those either in a management role or aspiring to one, as they offer a set of tools and skills to hone successful and impactful leadership.
Feedback from Wilson employees who attended the Academy have been positive. They reported a boost in their coaching and leadership confidence and some even mentioned implementing the tools and techniques they learned during the course. For instance, in preparing for a performance review meeting, they draw upon the strategies taught in class.
The program further helped supervisors understand the importance of constructive and positive feedback for employees exceeding expectations. Such feedback could be for commendable work with manufacturing footballs on a tight schedule or top-notch stitching.
Conway noted that the program has proven beneficial in equipping her managers and supervisors with the right resources to do their jobs. The Center is poised to deepen its partnerships with more companies across various sectors, delivering tailored programs and facilitating efficient utilization of the Employee Development Academy as a crucial resource.
Given its flexibility and creative approach, the Ohio Northern University Center for Corporate Engagement is ready and equipped to provide an employee development program that aligns with the unique needs of an organization. It provides a comprehensive list of programs and offers a fuss-free registration process to facilitate a seamless learning journey for all participants. To that end, those interested can contact the Center for more information.
