Feb. 5, 2020

This paid piece is sponsored by the USD Center for Professional Development.

Elevate your skills in management and leadership, communication and human resources with a lineup — that’s bigger than ever — of short courses from the USD Center for Professional Development.

These one- and two-day short courses are designed with busy professionals in mind, conveniently offered at USD’s Community College for Sioux Falls.

“Our vision is to become the ‘go-to’ place for the professional development needs of regional businesses to help them grow their talent,” said associate dean Linda Halliburton, who has led higher education programs for professionals for more than a decade.

“The USD Center for Professional Development is an evolution of USD’s commitment to professional development in the Sioux Falls area,” she continued.

“What the transition means for the market is that we have access not only to faculty from across the university but to regional experts as well, so we can utilize the best resources possible to help address the area’s professional development needs.”

After piloting a handful of courses last fall, the Center is tripling its options with 14 courses this spring, beginning in early March and running through May.

The courses are grouped into three categories:

• Management and Leadership, aimed at propelling careers forward by helping professionals develop the talents needed to become more effective managers and leaders.
• Communication Skills for Professionals, with a focus on the practical tools and techniques that will help project a positive, polished and professional image in all written and verbal interactions.
• Professional Development for HR Pros, aimed at helping human resource professionals develop new knowledge and skills in the core domains and functional areas that are essential for success.

 “The courses are short by design; we know that people are busy and want new knowledge and tools that they can use right away,” Halliburton said.

“The practical nature of one- and two-day courses led by people who have ‘been there’ and who also have experience teaching and facilitating adult learners means that what you learn will be timely and relevant.”

To see a full lineup of courses, click here. 

The Center put its programs together based on a lot of input, including working with an advisory committee that consists of a cross-section of two dozen employers of various sizes.

Members include both Sioux Falls health systems, JDS Industries, Blend Interactive, Meta Financial Group and the Zeal Center for Entrepreneurship.

“Quite often, organizations have a commitment to developing their employees but don’t necessarily have the internal resources to do it all in-house. We become their learning and development department, and by participating in our advisory committee, they are assured that we are delivering what they need,” Halliburton said.

“It’s very important to us that our courses reflect the needs of our local workforce.”

In addition to the committee, a survey of 700 professionals in the area yielded a robust list of topics, she said.

“Our tag line is Learn. Lead. Succeed. That is what we want to help individuals and their employers do,” Halliburton said.

“We know that investing in employees’ growth is an engagement driver that can result in reduced turnover and increased productivity and profitability. By offering high-quality professional development locally, we can help employers nurture the human skills that most impact success.”

Reid Holsen, human resource manager for the city of Sioux Falls, said city leaders have found significant value in the learning opportunities offered through USD.

“We send a number of team members throughout our organization, and they enjoy the ability to collaborate together along with others from different organizations,” he said.

“These offerings are focused on building real, applicable skills that can be applied as soon as they get back to work — plus they get the chance to build some great contacts.”

Many organizations find value in sending multiple participants, Halliburton added.

“It helps create a shared language and skill set that transfers more easily across an organization,” she said.

“We end each day with participants creating a personal action plan for how they will apply what they’ve learned. When businesses send more than one person, they hold each other accountable for following through on their action plan. This can translate into an immediate ROI for the employer.”

Wondering if you’re a good fit for one of the courses?

Associate dean Linda Halliburton suggests looking at the USD Center for Professional Development course descriptions, which include a section on “who should attend.”

For example, Extreme Productivity is a good fit for professionals looking to navigate the business world with optimum productivity.

“It would be easy to say these are for everyone – and they would be valuable for a great number of professionals – but they often are ideal for people who are preparing or recently transitioned to a new role or a new organization,” Halliburton said.

“We see professionals from businesses, government and nonprofit organizations. Most have at least five years of experience and many have much more. What really makes it a good fit is a desire to learn and grow.”

To learn more about the Center for Professional Development and register online, click here.