Graduate Certificate in Workforce Development

Courses

REQUIRED COURSES (18 Q.H) Fall Registration opens on July 28, 2008.
Employer Relations (3 q.h.) This course will examine workforce development programs from the employers perspective. The idea and practice of dual customer service delivery will be discussed and practiced. Course participants will also learn how to create an employer strategy based on their population, goals, services, and economic context. Methodology on providing employers with “return on investment” for hiring and methods to demonstrate added value will be explored.
Strategic Planning, Program Design, and implementation (3 q.h.) This course will provide hands-on tools and the underlying concepts related to building and operating a quality workforce development program. Course participants will learn how to select target populations for a program, set attainable and valuable program outcomes, and grapple with challenges of career path employment for entry-level workers. Strategic positioning and planning, program design considerations and theory, challenges in program start-up, and issues regarding implementation will be explored. Participants may be asked for their course project to design a new workforce program for their current employer.
Working with Participants (3 q.h.) This course will provide an overview of the approaches to working with participants in workforce development programs. Topics to be discussed will include: assessment tools and techniques; the importance of both soft skills and job related skills, case management models, resources for getting participants ready for work, developing skills competency standards, retention strategies, and overall management of the process of working with participants.
Understanding Labor Markets (3 q.h.) This course is a comprehensive microeconomic approach to neoclassical wage theory and the theory of labor markets focusing on labor supply, household production, marginal productivity, human capital, and search. Alternative labor market theories, including the efficiency wage theory and the dual labor market theory, are examined. Another emphasis is on learning how to conduct local and regional labor market analysis as part of developing a workforce development strategy.
Research and Evaluation (3 q.h.) This course examines quantitative and qualitative research methods with regard to application to social and nonprofit programs. The course will discuss experimental designs, but will emphasize quasi-experimental designs and link evaluation questions to data analysis techniques. These approaches include observations, surveys, structured and unstructured interviews, and document analysis. Topics will also include types of evaluation: process (formative), outcome (summative), impact and needs assessments, cost benefit analysis, and performance monitoring. Course format will utilize case studies and hands-on exercises.
TOTAL QUARTER HOURS: 18