Executive Summary
As the economy recovers and employers reinvest in staff training & development, progressive community colleges have found an expanding source of revenue in corporate training programs.
This white paper explores cost-effective strategies to identify potential employer partners, sustain long-term training partnerships, and design programs around employers’ customized needs.
Main Takeaways 1. Community colleges face new opportunities to expand their corporate training activities as employers reverse the training expenditure cuts implemented during the Great Recession
.2. Marketing staff should target corporate training outreach toward new businesses and employers who have previously sponsored employee training.
3. Both print and online marketing materials should profile successful corporate training partnerships, with an emphasis on the business partner’s return on investment (ROI).
4. Advisory boards, corporate alumni clubs, and corporate memberships allow colleges to convert one-time training clients into long-term business partners.
5. Program administrators supplement local labor market data with needs assessment surveys to understand the specialized needs of local employers.
6. Optimal price points balance the cost of program delivery with the need to remain competitive among local training providers.