WHAT IS A
UNIVERSITY
CORPORATE?
WHAT IS A
UNIVERSITY
CORPORATE?
WHY UNIVERSITIES
ARE CORPORATE BUSINESSES IMPORTANT?
Employers expect employees to come prepared and ready to do their jobs, but the truth is that what they learned in traditional academic institutions may not be enough in a top-notch organization.
•
Some higher education programs may prepare students with generic basic knowledge. Yet they will never closely imitate or replicate a company’s culture, or a department’s specific mode of operation.
•
In addition, many employees join a company in search of progression and career plans. Corporate universities are great initiatives to retain and leverage professionals who want to stay with your company for a long time, which reduces the cost of acquiring and training new talent.
WHY UNIVERSITIES
ARE CORPORATE BUSINESSES IMPORTANT?
Employers expect employees to come prepared and ready to do their jobs, but the truth is that what they learned in traditional academic institutions may not be enough in a top-notch organization.
•
Some higher education programs may prepare students with generic basic knowledge. Yet they will never closely imitate or replicate a company’s culture, or a department’s specific mode of operation.
•
In addition, many employees join a company in search of progression and career plans. Corporate universities are great initiatives to retain and leverage professionals who want to stay with your company for a long time, which reduces the cost of acquiring and training new talent.
EVOLUTION OF
UNIVERSITIES
CORPORATE
EVOLUTION OF
UNIVERSITIES
CORPORATE
CORPORATE UNIVERSITIES
IN LARGE CORPORATIONS
Corporate universities are already a reality within multi-million companies. Giants like Amazon, Google and Microsoft successfully handle their educational efforts by implementing corporate university programs in order to train employees in new technologies, tools, how to deal with the public and other topics.
Google – Googleplex
When it comes to corporate universities, Google is one of America’s most innovative and creative companies. The magic of your learning takes place in the Mountain View complex. Learning initiatives enable employees to explore spontaneous interactions with one another while learning, just like at a university; and allow employees to invest professional time in brand-related side projects. Not only does this create new technology for Google, it also boosts employee morale.
Disney – University
Disney
Disney’s corporate university is highly personalized with the brand, from training materials to program names, meaning it’s a constant reminder of your success over time. Disney University provides new employees, on their first day, with a lesson in culture, history, values, policies and traditions.
Intel – University
Intel Network Builders
Intel University provides an online library of content covering a variety of topics, but also offers face-to-face training. Intel University is part of a global campaign to spread knowledge, and can be accessed from anywhere in the world, by anyone, at no cost. The program is focused on teaching Intel technologies to professionals so they can better understand how these advances impact our digital world today, and so they can better apply Intel technologies.
CORPORATE UNIVERSITIES
IN LARGE CORPORATIONS
Corporate universities are already a reality within multi-million companies. Giants like Amazon, Google and Microsoft successfully handle their educational efforts by implementing corporate university programs in order to train employees in new technologies, tools, how to deal with the public and other topics.
Google – Googleplex
When it comes to corporate universities, Google is one of America’s most innovative and creative companies. The magic of your learning takes place in the Mountain View complex. Learning initiatives enable employees to explore spontaneous interactions with one another while learning, just like at a university; and allow employees to invest professional time in brand-related side projects. Not only does this create new technology for Google, it also boosts employee morale.
Disney – University
Disney
Disney’s corporate university is highly personalized with the brand, from training materials to program names, meaning it’s a constant reminder of your success over time. Disney University provides new employees, on their first day, with a lesson in culture, history, values, policies and traditions.
Intel – University
Intel Network Builders
Intel University provides an online library of content covering a variety of topics, but also offers face-to-face training. Intel University is part of a global campaign to spread knowledge, and can be accessed from anywhere in the world, by anyone, at no cost. The program is focused on teaching Intel technologies to professionals so they can better understand how these advances impact our digital world today, and so they can better apply Intel technologies.
Apple – University
Apple
Apple sets itself apart by doing things differently and expects the same from its employees. The company doesn’t just teach them to do things differently; they are also taught to think creatively so that these lessons can be transmitted from one team member to another. Everything is done to maintain Apple’s edge over its competition.
Apple’s first marketing brochure announced that “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” The motto of simplicity has been instilled in Apple University’s workforce, with courses revolving around the company’s culture and history, as well as its structure. Managers also study other companies to learn how they succeeded or failed.
McDonald’s – University
of the hamburger
McDonald’s has been training its employees in the art of making hamburgers since 1961. Hamburger University, which was first opened to employees, is still going strong today. Even though employee retention is not high at McDonald’s, they are able to identify and retain their top talent by teaching them skills and how to better use their time, while working together as a cohesive unit.
Professors at Hamburger University are experts in restaurant operations and teach with a variety of different tools. For example, they can use the classroom as well as hands-on activities or scenarios where students can see what it’s like to work at McDonald’s restaurants first-hand, in addition to distance learning and other methods.
Apple – University
Apple
Apple sets itself apart by doing things differently and expects the same from its employees. The company doesn’t just teach them to do things differently; they are also taught to think creatively so that these lessons can be transmitted from one team member to another. Everything is done to maintain Apple’s edge over its competition.
Apple’s first marketing brochure announced that “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” The motto of simplicity has been instilled in Apple University’s workforce, with courses revolving around the company’s culture and history, as well as its structure. Managers also study other companies to learn how they succeeded or failed.
McDonald’s – University
of the hamburger
McDonald’s has been training its employees in the art of making hamburgers since 1961. Hamburger University, which was first opened to employees, is still going strong today. Even though employee retention is not high at McDonald’s, they are able to identify and retain their top talent by teaching them skills and how to better use their time, while working together as a cohesive unit.
Professors at Hamburger University are experts in restaurant operations and teach with a variety of different tools. For example, they can use the classroom as well as hands-on activities or scenarios where students can see what it’s like to work at McDonald’s restaurants first-hand, in addition to distance learning and other methods.
HOW TO CREATE ONE
CORPORATE UNIVERSITY
Gather top executives around a table - virtual or not!
Determine how this will support your vision and strategic goals for the company’s success, as well as get their buy-in at this early stage so they are invested from day one
A corporate university is a place for employees to learn and grow in their current position.
So the first step in creating one would be to figure out what you want it to accomplish. From there, write your mission statement (both long-term and short-term), vision or objective that can guide this university’s decisions in the future; don’t forget to provide some objectives too!
Gather a corporate training team
This is a team that will support the functioning of your corporate university. Regardless of the way your corporate university learns, whether face-to-face or with virtual training (distance learning), it is important to keep in mind that your corporate training team is made up of people with communication skills.
Your training team should be made up of external professional managers, directors, executives, trainers and professors, ensuring that you provide training to all hierarchical levels of the company.
Align your resume with your organization's goals
All training courses, content and activities should match what you need. You will also need to align yourself with the cultural standards of your employees, which mean different things based on how big/small (or new) that business might be.
Use technology to make your content easily accessible and to remove barriers to learning
The best way to ensure people are up to date on their skills is to hire a learning experience provider. The right design will engage them and promote retention, information absorption, as well as recall. And it should be customized to each individual’s profile, so you can convince your people that continuing education benefits them too!
Define the objectives of your learning initiative in terms of business success and stakeholder expectations
Determine whether talent retention or development is at stake, and how you will measure the impact on customers/employees, whether it’s retention rates or overall productivity increases.
If applicable, partner your corporate university initiative with established business schools
These universities have a combined mandate in educating future professionals and provide a rich curriculum to help cultivate the skills of their workforce for success on the job, both academically and practically.
If you have a team that has shown an interest in pursuing long-term development plans, you might want to offer certification programs.
Empower your people by working closely with them. Engage your marketing department to start communicating your corporate university’s efforts to your team.
A deployment plan should have a detailed and organized timeline. Each activity must have its own assignee in order for it to be done on time.
HOW TO CREATE ONE
CORPORATE UNIVERSITY
Gather top executives around a table - virtual or not!
Determine how this will support your vision and strategic goals for the company’s success, as well as get their buy-in at this early stage so they are invested from day one
A corporate university is a place for employees to learn and grow in their current position.
So the first step in creating one would be to figure out what you want it to accomplish. From there, write your mission statement (both long-term and short-term), vision or objective that can guide this university’s decisions in the future; don’t forget to provide some objectives too!
Gather a corporate training team
This is a team that will support the functioning of your corporate university. Regardless of the way your corporate university learns, whether face-to-face or with virtual training (distance learning), it is important to keep in mind that your corporate training team is made up of people with communication skills.
Your training team should be made up of external professional managers, directors, executives, trainers and professors, ensuring that you provide training to all hierarchical levels of the company.
Align your resume with your organization's goals
All training courses, content and activities should match what you need. You will also need to align yourself with the cultural standards of your employees, which mean different things based on how big/small (or new) that business might be.
Use technology to make your content easily accessible and to remove barriers to learning
The best way to ensure people are up to date on their skills is to hire a learning experience provider. The right design will engage them and promote retention, information absorption, as well as recall. And it should be customized to each individual’s profile, so you can convince your people that continuing education benefits them too!
Define the objectives of your learning initiative in terms of business success and stakeholder expectations
Determine whether talent retention or development is at stake, and how you will measure the impact on customers/employees, whether it’s retention rates or overall productivity increases.
If applicable, partner your corporate university initiative with established business schools
These universities have a combined mandate in educating future professionals and provide a rich curriculum to help cultivate the skills of their workforce for success on the job, both academically and practically.
If you have a team that has shown an interest in pursuing long-term development plans, you might want to offer certification programs.
Empower your people by working closely with them. Engage your marketing department to start communicating your corporate university’s efforts to your team.
A deployment plan should have a detailed and organized timeline. Each activity must have its own assignee in order for it to be done on time.
CORPORATE UNIVERSITIES IMPROVE
TALENT AND CREATE BETTER PROFESSIONALS
Education is an investment and does not require buildings and logos. With a few simple changes, like giving employees the resources they deserve to succeed or investing time in training programs so your people can keep up with industry trends, you can create a basic corporate university.
•
Investing in the future of your employees is not
just innovative but it’s the right thing to do
A company that invests in education, cares and creates opportunities for its people and increases its chances of having happy and loyal employees.
Today, learning can take many different forms. The modern university is no longer limited to corporate training programs designed for the company’s immediate interests; instead, they should focus more on the individual benefit of continuing education and less directly on what benefits them in their immediate work environment.
The corporate university model creates a curriculum that nurtures the talent of its professionals and fosters leadership development. Companies that embrace this commitment to developing high-level skills separate themselves from conventional organizations precisely because they emphasize learning opportunities for their people.
CORPORATE UNIVERSITIES IMPROVE
TALENT AND CREATE BETTER PROFESSIONALS
Education is an investment and does not require buildings and logos. With a few simple changes, like giving employees the resources they deserve to succeed or investing time in training programs so your people can keep up with industry trends, you can create a basic corporate university.
•
Investing in the future of your employees is not
just innovative but it’s the right thing to do
A company that invests in education, cares and creates opportunities for its people and increases its chances of having happy and loyal employees.
Today, learning can take many different forms. The modern university is no longer limited to corporate training programs designed for the company’s immediate interests; instead, they should focus more on the individual benefit of continuing education and less directly on what benefits them in their immediate work environment.
The corporate university model creates a curriculum that nurtures the talent of its professionals and fosters leadership development. Companies that embrace this commitment to developing high-level skills separate themselves from conventional organizations precisely because they emphasize learning opportunities for their people.
