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Business & Career Benefits of Continuing Education
Continuing education and professional development can be considered two sides of the same coin -- both refer to additional learning or training to upgrade your skills and knowledge. Investing in additional learning is vital in today’s competitive job market. Employers want candidates who not only excel at their work, but who are versatile and resilient. Professional development has a strong focus on investing in yourself with the specific purposes of career growth, increasing pay, increasing promotion opportunities or resume building.
Professional development is a great way to gain confidence, improve job performance and grow within your career. With more skills knowledge and education you can make better decisions on where to invest your time and efforts within the workplace. Taking professional development classes can help you build skills you may not have the opportunity to practice during the workday. Plus, during classes you can network with like-minded peers to gain insights about your industry and learn tips or best practices from other professionals.
The College partners with Cottingham & Butler to provide continuing education to their employees. This training is critical for the growth and development of their business.
Sara Klostermann Cottingham & Butler Organizational Development Manager
“We are a growth company and in order to achieve these goals we value partnerships that help our team become better business professionals, in turn providing the excellent customer service our clients have grown to expect.”
Increasing your skills with continuing education may have an impact on your salary and promotion opportunities because acquiring more valuable skills make you more valuable to employers. Gaining new skills and certifications allows businesses, large or small, to keep tasks in-house instead of paying to outsource projects to freelancers with the desired skill sets. You can build a stronger resume with continuing education in professional areas related to your career. Professional development classes can expand the areas of expertise listed within your resume.
Megan Palen Klauer Manufacturing Human Resources Manager
Employees at Klauer Manufacturing have utilized continuing education opportunities through the NICC Business Consortium, Business Summit and Brain Health series. While the idea of leaving work or attending a training can be daunting to professionals with limited time, there is a great benefit in carving out this time. Megan Palen, Human Resources Manager at Klauer Manufacturing, says, "Continuing education has been a way for us to retain team members who have the drive and desire to continue to learn. We’ve been able to promote from within and allow those team members to gain the skills they need to succeed in their next roles.”
Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) is a valued and credible source for training and education in the community. Employers recognize our quality skills training and certifications. NICC has many professional development opportunities to make a positive impact in growing your career. Our short-term training can have a long-term benefit in advancing your career in years to come. Many of our professional development classes can be customized to create a unique training program for businesses to engage and retain their employees.
» www.nicc.edu/careertraining
Bailey Kloft, Career Development & Business Partnership Lead
CONTACT BAILEY KLOFT FOR MORE INFORMATION
kloftb@nicc.edu
844.642.2338, ext. 3140
