Karen Deardorff is director of communications and grant development for the facilities and auxiliaries department at Ohio University, Athens, Ohio. She can be reached at deardorf@ohio.edu.

Stephen R. Covey reminds us of the value of training and professional development to an organization with these words: "We are the instruments of our own performance, and to be effective, we need to recognize the importance of taking time regularly to sharpen the saw…" 1 For Sherwood Wilson, associate vice president of administration for facilities and auxiliaries at Ohio University, sharpening the saw means taking care of the most important tool you have-yourself-by taking the time to upgrade skills and keep on top of the new developments in the field. The facilities management team at Ohio University has developed a remarkable program to help facilities and auxiliaries employees keep their saws sharpened-the Career Enrichment Institute (CEI). This program encourages employees to embrace continuous quality improvement by learning new skills or upgrading existing ones, and as will be discussed later, has the potential to positively impact employees, their children, and the community. For example, in addition to acquiring or upgrading skills through the CEI, employees also have the option of applying their coursework towards an Associate's degree.

Building the Foundation
The CEI is actually an extension of an earlier professional development initiative taken by the Facilities and Auxiliaries Division-the Apprenticeship Program. The Apprenticeship Program was developed as part of facilities management's efforts to have the most technically competent craftspeople anywhere in Ohio. Associate Vice President Wilson knew that his employees had the potential to be the best facilities team in the state, if not the country, but he also knew the existing system of advancement did not foster excellence. Wilson recognized that the challenge was to develop a program that would allow employees to take ownership of their professional development, that would set high standards which they could strive for, and that would enable them to get the training they needed and were interested in. To solve this dilemma, facilities management proposed the formation of an apprentice program recruitment pool from which future positions in its skilled trade shops would be filled. The pool would allow employees interested in pursuing a career in maintenance to obtain the training and experience required to reach the Maintenance Repair Worker 1 level.

Although union leadership supported the aims of this program, union members were not so comfortable. Members of Local 1699 of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the union that represents about 680 maintenance and service workers at Ohio University, were uncertain as to the effect the pool might have on their career advancement. They raised these concerns during the contract negotiations held in February 2000. The leaders from both sides hammered out a program together that would bring stronger job security along with more efficiency and productivity. In the end, the program was a win-win proposition for both the bargaining unit and management. The contract was signed on March 2, 2000, and through the dedicated efforts of the facilities management team, the CEI was up and running for the spring term.

Charlie Adkins, president of AFSCME Local 1699 and a strong proponent of the program, is thrilled with the overall success of the Career Enrichment Institute and the interest shown by bargaining unit employees. "I can honestly say I never dreamed that when we negotiated this program, it would be so well received," remarked Adkins. (1 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1989.)

Acquiring Professional Skills and Advanced Training on Work Time
The CEI is a unique joint venture between Ohio University and Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio, through which Ohio University staff can attend a wide variety of work- related classes. Through this partnership, participants receive Hocking College credits for every class, giving them the opportunity to not only upgrade their skills, but to also apply the credits towards earning an Associate's degree.

CEI is based on a core curriculum that fosters professional excellence by including such courses as Conflict Resolution, Customer Service, Communication, Diversity, Basic Math, and Computers. The core curriculum was purposely structured with courses that would give our employees basic tools needed to deal with the challenges and customer interactions faced every day on the job. In addition to the core courses, advanced technical training in specific disciplines such as HVAC or Advanced Welding, is also available.

Ohio University offers all facilities and auxiliaries employees (management, supervisory, bargaining unit, and classified) the opportunity to enroll in one work-related class on paid time per quarter. All expenses for the class, including tuition, books, and related expenses are paid by Ohio University. Employees may also enroll in one class on unpaid time, with Ohio University covering the costs. Through an agreement with Hocking College, tuition is waived and Ohio University is billed directly for the lab and general fees, not the student.

Jean Radcliff, director of work management, manages the initiative and says that while classes completed on work time makes scheduling a challenge, it is also one of the features that makes the program so special. "We want to do everything we can to make it possible for our employees to participate because we really believe in the value of this initiative," said Radcliff.

Turning Idea into Reality
Radcliff worked with representatives from Hocking College to get the details of the program put in place. She was also actively involved in communicating the program's goals and details to employees through an introductory booklet given to each employee and at all-employee staff meetings. Radcliff believes that the program was best promoted through word of mouth. She also believes that part of the program's success can be attributed to helping the employees through the process step by step and making it absolutely painless for them to participate.

To sign up for classes, program participants register at a special office in the facilities management department and work with a dedicated Hocking College liaison. In addition to handling registrations, the liaison identifies the courses required or requested, schedules the courses and instructors, registers students, and often acts as a counselor to help employees get the most benefit possible from the program.

Courses are geared toward adult learners, with an emphasis placed on on-the-job excellence. The curriculum is based on Prentice Hall's Wheels of Learning series, which was developed by the National Center for Construction, Education and Research. Following the series, participants learn the theory that supports the hands-on training that Ohio University has always had in place. The materials and method have proven valuable to not only new employees who are just beginning in their trade, but also to those who have been in the craft for over a decade.

Enrollment so far has not been a problem-with the computer courses, including Basic Computer Skills and Introduction to Windows being the most popular. Over 100 facilities and auxiliaries employees signed up for classes in the spring quarter. Many of these employees have also enrolled in a second class to be taken on their own time.

The numbers of students enrolled has proven that there was a need and an interest in training and career development. Students often come to Radcliff with requests for certain types of courses and when they are relevant to the mission of the division, she works with Hocking College to include them in the curriculum if possible. Continually adapting the courses to meet the needs and interests of the students has been a strong selling point for the program.

Not only will the curriculum continue to expand, but hopefully the reach of the program will expand as well to include Ohio University's regional campuses through distance learning. With the university's microwave equipped classrooms, staff members at campuses 80 miles away could participate in a class as it happens.

Success for Today and Tomorrow
When looking at current statistics, one of the reasons the opportunities afforded by the Career Enrichment Institute is especially important to the bargaining unit employees is easy to see. Not only do their lives have the potential of being impacted by the program, the lives of their children may also be impacted. Figures taken from the 1999-2000 Ohio University employee tuition waiver report indicate that children of non-bargaining unit employees are 37 percent more likely to attend Ohio University as an undergraduate than are the children of bargaining unit employees (80 bargaining unit waivers versus 138 nonbargaining unit waivers). And, based upon this same report, figures indicate that non-bargaining unit employees are nearly 1300 percent more likely to attend as undergraduates (part time) than are bargaining unit employees (10 bargaining unit waivers versus 170 non-bargaining unit waivers).

With the implementation of the CEI, we are already beginning to see an upward shift in the percentage of bargaining union employees enrolling in college courses. Enrollment totals for the first year of the CEI were 276 bargaining unit employees and 39 non-bargaining unit employees. When comparing these enrollment figures with the university average, the enrollment of bargaining unit employees in post-secondary coursework has increased by 800 percent.

Associate Vice President Wilson firmly believes the CEI provides real opportunities for employees now and in the future, for their children, and for the community. When asked how facilities management will measure the success of this program, Wilson addresses both the immediate and long-range outcomes. "We have seen immediate success because our employees are signing up for classes, already have better skills and are being promoted based on those skills. Our long-range success will be achieved when we see employees standing in line to take classes and the demand will necessitate that we grow the program to keep up. The real success in my book, however, will be in the future when these same employees' children decide to go to college because they saw how important education was to their moms and dads. And, the education of these employees and their children will in turn have a long-range, positive impact on the socioeconomic development of the community," explains Wilson.

It appears that the potential for success is more than just a dream. Diane Roberts, a paint shop employee, is taking classes to set a good example for her kids and is proud that her efforts in the CEI have already inspired her children. Recognizing the value of the skills she learned in the keyboarding class, Roberts purchased the program used in class for her home. Her 12-year-old daughter now uses the program as well-a testament to the immediate and future success of Ohio University's Career Enrichment Institute.