[SPOKANE, Wash.] The Corporate and Continuing Education Program at Community Colleges of Spokane have partnered with Sonderen Packaging to build a program that holds personal and professional growth at the center of its values and setting the curve for industry counterparts.
Sonderen came to CCS seeking solutions for a gap in the custom packaging company's workforce pipeline and created the Management Training Program to support the needs of employees and employers alike.
“The goal of management training is for any company or employee to be able to have an opportunity to develop skill sets that we don’t have the time to train internally,” said Keva Sonderen, co-owner of Sonderen Packaging. “This program gives them the time and the opportunity to stretch into areas they normally wouldn’t.”
By providing employees with the opportunity to learn interpersonal leadership skills, employers like Sonderen will be able to fill leadership roles internally and employees gain skills that bulk up their resumé.
The first cohort of the Management Training Program, taught by adjunct faculty members Tim Trottier from Spokane Community College and Khalil Islan-Zwart from Spokane Falls Community College, began this spring.
The six employees comprising this cohort are all designated as leads in their departments because of their operating skills, and MTP gives them skills in Microsoft software, strategic problem solving, communication and confidence to be the leader in the room.
Tyler Ryder started as an entry level press operator at Sonderen and has since moved into a management position as supervisor of the printing and sheeting department.
“The management side of things is where I needed skills,” Ryder said. “I’ve gotten better at dealing with the people aspect and that’s where I’ve been getting the most out of the class.”
Employees take stackable certificate courses for up to three quarters and attend class once a week at the packaging facility after their normal shift schedule.
“We’re putting people in charge through this collaboration with the community colleges,” Trottier said. “Students in this course are learning how to have crucial conversations to perform at the level they need to. It’s also about building their confidence levels to be the person in charge. Leadership training isn’t something that’s very readily available to mid-sized employers at a reasonable cost and this is something this partnership is doing.”
CCS and Sonderen plan to continue their partnership and contribute to an empowered workforce by providing training that is approachable to the full-time employee and invested employer.
Both partners hope to expand this opportunity to other midsize employers and employees in the Spokane area.