CPTC Corporate Education delivers workforce solutions

By Jean Borst

Clover Park Technical College has solutions for organizations looking to boost their employees’ skills and hone their competitive edge.

CPTC Corporate Education delivers customized training, coaching and consulting services to meet the workforce needs of businesses, nonprofit organizations and government agencies. It also offers streamlined access to CPTC programs that develop high-demand worker skills and offer certificates and degrees.

“Clover Park Technical College has a long history of training and educating tomorrow’s workforce,” CPTC President Dr. Joyce Loveday said. “Corporate Education not only aligns with that mission, but it will help us reimagine how we work with industry.”

Customized, convenient and affordable

When it comes to workforce learning and development, one size doesn’t fit all. Every organization is unique, and so are its training needs.

“Our team works with organizations to understand their goals and objectives, as well as their culture, policies and practices,” CPTC Corporate Education Executive Director Don Sosnowski said. “From there, we deliver training that uses company-specific case studies and scenarios, real-life situations, and language and concepts that are meaningful to employees.”

Just a few examples of the diverse programs Corporate Education offers are:

• Industrial and technical skills.
• Leadership and management development.
• Communication and soft skills.
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
• Process improvement.
• Project management.
• Team building.

And they’re all delivered by a team that includes:

• Industry experts who understand organizational complexities and needs,
• Certified providers of industry-recognized assessments, tools and evaluations, and
• Professionals who know that adult-learning is a process, not an event.

Flexibility, convenience and affordability are central to what Corporate Education offers.

Training is delivered in a variety of ways, including instructor-led courses offered on the CPTC campus or at an organization’s location; hybrid learning that blends virtual and in-person instruction; or via a self-paced learning model. To substantially offset training costs, eligible Washington companies can apply for Job Skills Program grant funding through the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. The CPTC Corporate Education team will even help with the application process to smooth the way.

Solutions in action

Employees need to be prepared for advancement or transition as companies grow. CPTC Corporate Education is here to help them reach their potential and guide organizations through meaningful change. A recent collaboration with Swedish Health Services is a great example of that.

Swedish wanted to increase the use of its operating rooms, but they knew they needed more skilled surgical technicians to make that happen. CPTC faculty worked with Swedish to create a 26-week, non-degree training course that satisfied basic qualifications for surgical techs. In October, 9 caregivers from Swedish graduated from the pilot program with the same skills they would have gained from a 2-year accredited degree program.

Course graduates are not only ready to work in an operating room, but they also have the knowledge and skills to matriculate into CPTC’s Surgical Technology Associate of Applied Technology degree program. Completing the course also makes them eligible to apply for academic credit towards their AAT degree.

“Investing in your employees is an investment in your business’s future,” Sosnowski said. “As your strategic partner, CPTC Corporate Education is focused on preparing your workforce for the next steps in their careers.”

More information is available at cptc.edu/corporate-education.

CPTC Corporate Education evolved from a partnership that served the Pierce County community for more than a decade. Invista Performance Solutions operated as a collaboration between CPTC, Pierce College District and Tacoma Community College. Following an agreement to dissolve the partnership earlier this year, Invista’s team joined CPTC and continues to provide the same services Pierce County organizations have relied on since 2011.