By Estelle R. Brown
TWINSBURG – Is this the era of the Great Resignation or the Great Reshuffle? Whatever it’s called, this moment in the history of work is being redefined as many of us are rethinking how, where and in what capacity we earn a living. Amidst this sea change, now is the time to sharpen your skills and advance in your career, taking advantage of new workforce development opportunities.
Whether you’re an employee looking for a promotion — or an employer seeking to broaden the skill base, leadership capacity and retention of your employees — you can benefit from the new workforce development courses now offered by Kent State University’s Twinsburg Academic Center (TAC) in partnership with the Twinsburg Chamber of Commerce (TCC).
Starting in January 2022, Kent State TAC is offering workforce development classes to residents in and around Twinsburg. Courses focus on QuickBooks, Microsoft Excel, social media, and other leadership development skills.
“Those who take the workforce development course offerings are able to upskill themselves, either in their current positions or for future positions,” says Amy Murfello, Marketing and Community Engagement Manager for Kent State Geauga and Kent State TAC. “The classes are geared for two target groups: employers who want to invest in their employees by providing training, and people in the community looking to learn a new skill, prepare for a career change, or improve upon skills they already have.”
Murfello sees this initiative as a promising antidote to a growing problem in the business community. “With the current job market, many companies face a lack of employees,” she explains.
“We hope, by offering these workforce development opportunities, employees or those looking for employment will see the importance of investing in themselves and the exciting growth opportunities that result from personally and professionally upskilling. Businesses that invest in their current employees by providing training can also experience lower turnover due to employees feeling invested in.”
Basing this concept on a successful collaboration with Geauga Growth Partnership that offers workforce development courses in Geauga County, Kent State TAC is sharing its instructors’ expertise with Twinsburg and surrounding areas, Murfello further explains.
Kent State TAC and TCC have worked together in past initiatives including Business Leadership Training (BLT) workshops. TAC also sponsors several Chamber programs throughout the year and Dean Angela Spalsbury serves on the TCC board.
Building upon this ongoing partnership, Murfello has been working with Twinsburg Chamber Executive Director Allyson Tonozzi and President Matt Cellura to gauge interest, organize the new program and co-host a Business Summit where business members shared how Kent State’s Twinsburg Academic Center could help meet their needs.
Tonozzi and Cellura are pleased that the Twinsburg Chamber is helping to provide and promote affordable opportunities for skill enhancements that can improve operations and fill open positions for Chamber members and business owners at a convenient, accredited location in partnership with Kent State TAC.
“The initial offerings are intended to reach businesses and their employees as well as residents of the community. The goal is to provide an opportunity for participants to improve their skillsets and ultimately help bridge the unemployment gap while potentially helping businesses identify those to promote from within,” Tonozzi explains.
Area businesses and organizations may also recognize Kent State TAC as not just an institution of higher learning, but also as a workforce developer. While the campus is offering these dedicated courses, Kent State TAC can also tailor programming specific to a local company’s needs, whether the company is big or small.
“For example, if a company uses Microsoft Excel to do specific tasks, our instructor can train those people on doing those tasks efficiently,” Murfello points out. Or, if a business wants to help employees move into managerial positions, Kent State TAC instructors can develop courses to facilitate that preparation.
These new courses are open to the public. Members of the Twinsburg Chamber receive special pricing. Find course offerings and registration links at https://www.kent.edu/geauga/workforce-development-twinsburg. Anyone who completes a course will receive a certificate of completion from Kent State.
While these courses are not for college credit, taking one may inspire participants to attend Twinsburg Academic Center in the future for related degrees. For instance, someone who takes the QuickBooks class may become interested in then pursuing an associate or bachelor’s degree in business.
To receive announcements about upcoming courses or specialized training opportunities, or if you have questions about current programming, contact Amy Murfello at Kent State’s Twinsburg Academic Center at amurfell@kent.edu or 440-834-3702, or Allyson Tonozzi at the Twinsburg Chamber at atonozzi@twinsburgchamber.com or 330-963-6249.
