The Workforce and Economic Development (WED) department of Ivy Tech Community College has provided a Management and Supervisory Institute for 73 employees of Dorel Juvenile Group. The course began November 4 and ended on January 30 with a graduation program.
In order to accommodate individuals working in different shifts, faculty members offered six different class sessions: a morning and an evening class were taught on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The morning class ran from 7:00 am until 3:00 pm; the evening class ran from 7:00 pm until 3:00 am.
The Management and Supervisory Institute trains supervisors to model behavior that will create organizational change. Topics covered include mastering the tools of management, communicating for results, managing and resolving conflict, conducting effective meetings, overcoming basic business challenges, and the role of the supervisor in employee performance. The course covers 80 hours and costs $2,800 per person, including materials, instruction, and meals.
The nearly $200,000 cost was covered by a TAG Grant—Training Acceleration Grant—administered through a partnership between the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. The TAG grant program, which provided financial assistance to companies for workforce training, ended in October of 2008.
Instructors for the course were Jarvis Cooper, Cindy Thompson, Marsha Bryant, Mary Beth Miller, and Jeffrey Lawrence. All are adjunct instructors of the Ivy Tech Workforce and Economic Development department; Jeffrey Lawrence also serves Ivy Tech as Program Chair of Communications and Social and Behavioral Sciences.
“The fact that Ivy Tech instructors were willing to teach through the night to accommodate our work schedules says a lot for Ivy Tech. In my 30 years of experience in the human resources field, I’ve never seen a class that was taught so effectively,” said Tim Ferguson, Vice President of Human Resources for Dorel Juvenile Group.
The Management and Supervisory Institute is one of many programs and customized training offered to industry, small businesses, government, and non-profit agencies by the department of Workforce and Economic Development at Ivy Tech Community College. Experienced staff in various disciplines analyze training needs, assess employees’ skill levels, and recommend and implement the optimal training program to meet business needs.