York’s employee learning and development team, Organizational Learning and People Excellence, has unveiled this year’s lineup of employee courses, programs and series. Full registration opens via YU Learn on Sept. 13 at 10 a.m.
The learning content, meant to drive career navigation and strategic focus, emphasizes five key capability areas with a broad range of topics throughout each: change management, digital collaboration, healthy teams, service excellence and talent agility.
“We’ve all experienced how rapidly 21st-century work evolves,” said Jennifer Sipos, director of Organizational Learning and People Excellence. “With work changing, and other new work appearing, many of our colleagues are looking to maximize their personal growth, deliver University Academic Plan priorities and advance their careers. Responding to that, we’ve created and curated learning experiences that are employee driven: intended to help our employees do their best work, and York’s best work, too.”
This year, most learning opportunities will continue virtually; many are instructor-led with a range of self-paced learning, including new e-learning modules and curated learning paths in LinkedIn Learning. The opportunities are designed to offer something for everyone, whether they are onboarding to the organization or seeking management development courses, leadership development programs or specific skill development to grow their career. All learning is strategically focused so employees can transfer their learning to their day-to-day work and contribute directly to York’s priorities for action.
“This year’s programming reflects our commitment to nurturing internal talent,” said Sipos. “For employees who are looking to advance their careers at York, our offerings now include new self-directed career resources, a new talent mobility program – the first of its kind in the Canadian post-secondary system – and new career-focused, customized services to support employees in navigating their careers with greater confidence.”
Here are more specifics from the highlighted 2023-24 offerings:
U Programs: cohort learning focused on leadership development, including Emerging Leaders U, Leader U and Executive U.
Flexible Series: employees choose courses to build their own unique series in (Tech U Flex Series, Digital Workplace Series, Onboarding to the Organization and Onboarding to the Organization for Managers Series).
Elective Courses: includes talent development and technology-focused courses that empower employees to build specific skills (courses include: Connecting to Purpose in a Hybrid Place;, Balancing Performance and Well-Being: For You and Your Team; and Collaboration in Teams and Microsoft 365).
Talent Mobility Programming: supporting employees experiencing career change or seeking career advancement (examples include: Effective Resume and Cover Letter Writing; Enhancing Interview Techniques; Understanding Your Strengths; and Navigating Your Career).
Customized Services: offered on a by-request, year-round basis and available to leaders and teams (team development, leader development, skilled facilitation and instructional design consultation) as well as individual employees (career consultation, career coaching, skill development consultation and relationship management). Use this form to Request a Customized Service.
Full details are available now via YU Learn. Full registration opens at 10 a.m. on Sept. 13 at YU Learn. Space is limited.