Crawfordsville To Kick Off New Professional Development Program

The city of Crawfordsville kicked off a six-week-long consortium-style professional development training program for employees in first-time leadership roles yesterday, in partnership with six local companies.

The in-person training will be held at the Ivy Tech-Crawfordsville campus and the Fusion54 co-working studio in downtown Crawfordsville.

The program is expected to bring in 60 first-time participants, and partner with the following diverse group of area companies:

• Acuity Brands Lighting;
• Closure Systems International;
• Hoosier Heartland State Bank;
• Pace Dairy;
• Wabash College; and
• Walmart Optical Manufacturing

“The concept for this training program came from discussions at our monthly workforce roundtable,” said Crawfordsville Mayor Todd Barton. “When we learned that a number of area employers had similar needs for this type of training we decided to help coordinate the effort. We are committed to cultivating that next generation of community leaders in Crawfordsville, and this program will help us achieve that.”

Due to the diversity of companies involved, each program week will consist of three 3-hour sessions to accommodate those leaders who work various shifts. Multiple facilitators will lead sessions on topics such as Imposter Syndrome, “From Buddy to Boss”, and the Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team.  Prior to the first session, each participant received a link to complete a DiSC personal assessment—which helps participants understand how they respond to conflict, motivation, and problem solving—and then work with the facilitator on how to use the information to build and lead a better team.

“The idea of a consortium training program was appealing because Acuity Brands strives to contribute to career training that will be meaningful to the participants, their families, and their communities. Our company is focused on supporting sustained career growth and helping those in our community thrive,” said Acuity Brands Director of Operations Shawn Ramey.

Facilitators for the program include HRD Advisory Group, Ivy Tech, and City of Greenwood Assistant Fire Chief Brad Coy.

“Ivy Tech’s Career Link department is excited to be part of this innovative training initiative. This type of leadership training can have a positive impact on productivity and employee satisfaction across an entire organization,” said Ivy Tech Employer Consultant Les Smith.

The desire of the pilot companies is that this professional development consortium training will remain an ongoing program throughout the year.  For more information about this program, contact Cheryl Morphew, Economic Development, City of Crawfordsville at [email protected].

Photo Caption: Mayor Todd Barton welcomes the first group of program participants for the six-week-long consortium-style professional development training program for employees in first-time leadership roles at the Ivy Tech-Crawfordsville campus.