2024 LERN CONTRACT TRAINING CONFERENCE
June 11 - 13, 2024
Online

Scroll for:

-Opening Session
-Advanced Sessions
-Panels
-Fundamental Sessions
-Town Halls closing sessions

Opening Session
   Welcome, Amy Lasack, Co-Chair, Conference Committee
    Special 15 minute update:  Workforce Pell legislation, Gary Girard, Metropolitan Community College of Omaha, Omaha, NE
   
 Hot Trends and Issues in Contract Training in 2024
 Self care, resiliency and emotional health for contract training sales people leads the new issues in contract training for 2024. AI, Gen Z in the workplace, and the need for new leadership development are also hot new trends this year. Your panelists are some of the top practitioners in the business today.
   Panel: Amy Lasack, Northeast Iowa Community College, Calmar, IA; Jo Ann Hall, Moraine Park Technical College, Fond du Lac, WI; and Konley Kelley, Dallas College, Garland, TX.
Tuesday, June 11: 11 am – 11:45 ET; 10 – 10:45 am CT; 9 -9:45 am MT; 8 -8:45 am PT

Advanced Track

Advanced sessions and Panels All New!

Customized Leadership Development
   Employers are wanting, and needing, to develop new leaders from within their ranks. This award winning program customized a three year leadership development program for a local employer that met with great results.
   Brad Gast, Northcentral Technical College, Wausau, WI
Tuesday, June 11: Noon -12:45 ET; 11 -11:45 CT; 10 – 10:45 MT; 9-9:45 am PT

Making Communication Easier - standardization and automation
   Specific elements we've standardized, templates created, and recommendations for free and paid software solutions. Why we prefer partial-automation, and why dedicating time on the set-up and maintenance of these tools has positively impacted employee mental health.
   Tyne Rieck, Eastern Iowa Community Colleges, Davenport, IA
Tuesday, June 11: 1 pm-1:45 ET; Noon-12:45 CT; 11-11:45 MT; 10-10:45 am PT

Employer Focus Groups: the critical piece of success
   Not keeping a pulse on what is happening in the workforce is a critical mistake that many CE teams make. This can easily be prevented through well planned employer feedback.  In this session learn the who, what, when and why employer focus groups can make or break your CE programming.  
   Amy Lasack, Northeast Iowa Community College, Dubuque, IA
Tuesday, June 11: 2 pm-2:45 ET; 1-1:45 pm CT; Noon – 12:45 MT; 11-11:45 am PT

Salesforce Software in Contract Training
   Leverage Salesforce in your Corporate Training Department.  Taking advantage of the rollout of the Student Onboarding Platform across the department has added functionality to gain efficiencies. Utilize the platform for its CRM, Sales pipeline, dashboards and reporting functionality.
   Debera Taylor, CCT, Laurel Ridge Community College, Middletown, VA
Tuesday, June 11: 3 pm -3:45 ET; 2-2:45 CT; 1-1:45 MT; Noon-12:45 pm PT

Building Relationships, Not Just Revenue
   The key to becoming a "go to" resource for your business clients is to make sure they don't feel like "just a sale". Learn some great ways to become a value-added resource to your clients that they are happy to trust with their training and development funds. If you're only focused on sales and Contract Training revenue, you are leaving a lot of it on the table.
   Celia Even, Hawkeye Community College, Waterloo, IA
Tuesday, June 11: 4 pm -4:45 ET; 3-3:45 pm CT; 2-2:45 MT; 1-1:45 pm PT

Employee Development as a Process, not an Event
   Ongoing development creates a culture of continuous learning, motivating employees to embrace change and enhance their performance.  Delve into strategies you can use to transition your clients from a mindset of training events to a holistic approach towards employee development and long-term organizational success.
   Jo Ann Hall, Moraine Park Technical College, Fond du Lac, WI
Wednesday, June 12: 11 am – 11:45 ET; 10 – 10:45 am CT; 9 -9:45 am MT; 8 -8:45 am PT

Upskilling
  In an era marked by rapid technological changes and shifting workforce demands, the need for upskilling has never been more crucial. Upskilling is the process of enhancing existing employee individual skill sets to respond to organization’s changing needs and advancing one’s own career.   Brand your CT unit as the go-to resource for upskilling solutions to employer training needs.  Stop being the “best kept secret” when it comes to corporate training. 
   Konley Kelley and Lorraine Hood-Jack, Dallas College, Garland, TX
Wednesday, June 12: Noon -12:45 ET; 11 -11:45 CT; 10 – 10:45 MT; 9-9:45 am PT

Offering Registered Apprenticeship Programs through Contract Training
   Explore the huge growth market in Registered Apprenticeship Programs,  industry-vetted, approved, and validated by the U.S. Department of Labor or a State Apprenticeship Agency. Figure out to address the challenges when offering these apprenticeship programs through CT. Find out how they are structured, discuss different models for supporting them, and discuss strategies for providing them through CT.
   Dawn Carter, Prince George’s Community College, Largo, MD
Wednesday, June 12: 1 pm-1:45 ET; Noon-12:45 CT; 11-11:45 MT; 10-10:45 am PT

Solutions Based Selling
  Shift your focus from just selling products or services to solving customer problems and meeting their specific needs. Use this approach to build trust and credibility with customers, as it demonstrates a genuine interest in understanding their challenges and providing tailored solutions. By emphasizing the value and benefits of the solutions offered, solution-based selling can lead to higher customer satisfaction, repeat business, and increased sales opportunities.
   Jo Ann Hall, Moraine Park Technical College, Fond du Lac, WI
Wednesday, June 12: 1 pm-1:45 ET; Noon-12:45 CT; 11-11:45 MT; 10-10:45 am PT

Building Relationships through Creative Outreach
   The key to successful creative outreach is to be genuine, thoughtful, and focused on providing value to your customers. Tailor your approach to each individual or organization, and always follow up consistently to nurture relationships over time. In this presentation you will learn about creative ways to provide outreach to customers to sell to them without directly selling to them by offering interactive content and workshops.
   Barbara Rawson, Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids, IA
Wednesday, June 12: 2 pm-2:45 ET; 1-1:45 pm CT; Noon – 12:45 MT; 11-11:45 am PT

World Premiere! Gen Z as Managers
   They may be the best managers for the 21^st century. Explore managing in a society where ‘no one is normal.’ These kids have new strategies for retaining workers and responding to impromptu workplace situations. Get new insights for your and your customers’ Gen Z staff.
   Julie Coates, LERN, Portland, OR, is the foremost authority on generations.
Wednesday, June 12: 3 pm -3:45 ET; 2-2:45 CT; 1-1:45 MT; Noon-12:45 pm PT

The Workforce Moving Forward - - 5 Trends
   The workplace is rapidly being transformed for the 21^st century. The Industrial Age is over. The Knowledge Society is here. Unearth the 5 big trends, and then unleash them ahead of the competition and position your contract training for greater present and future success.
  William A. Draves, LERN, Presque Isle, WI, accurately predicted the nine shifts in the last 20 years with his co-author Julie Coates.
Wednesday, June 12: 4 pm -4:45 ET; 3-3:45 pm CT; 2-2:45 MT; 1-1:45 pm PT

Panels

Sales Techniques That Work
  Stories on what has and hasn't worked for your panelists in the past. Then contribute your own stories and take home sales techniques that work.
 Tuesday, June 11: 3 pm -3:45 ET; 2-2:45 CT; 1-1:45 MT; Noon-12:45 pm PT

Sales Staff Longevity- -  Keeping your most networked staff
  Seasoned contract training staff talk about what has kept them around so long. Knowing that our sector pays less than other sales positions, discover some keys to sales staff longevity.
Wednesday, June 12: Noon -12:45 ET; 11 -11:45 CT; 10 – 10:45 MT; 9-9:45 am PT

The Instructor Relationship
   Developing the relationship with instructors. Getting to the right match, messaging your benefits, and knowing when and how to end the relationship when necessary.
2 pm-2:45 ET; 1-1:45 pm CT; Noon – 12:45 MT; 11-11:45 am PT

Fundamentals Track

Real World and Team Selling
– Your Contract Training Sales Kit
– Contract Training Staffing Structure: Team Selling
– Real World Selling
Tuesday, June 11: Noon -12:45 ET; 11 -11:45 CT; 10 – 10:45 MT; 9-9:45 am PT

Finances of Contract Training
– LERN Financial Format and Ideal Percentages
– Key Contract Training Formulas
– Data to Collect & Quarterly Analysis
Tuesday, June 11: 1 pm-1:45 ET; Noon-12:45 CT; 11-11:45 MT; 10-10:45 am PT

Teaming with the Right Instructors
– Important Skills for a Contract Training Instructor
– Finding Instructors
– Clarifying Things from the Start
Tuesday, June 11: 2 pm-2:45 ET; 1-1:45 pm CT; Noon – 12:45 MT; 11-11:45 am PT

Pricing Contract Training
– Understanding Contract Costs
– Formula Pricing and Market Pricing
– Pricing Best Practices
Tuesday, June 11: 4 pm -4:45 ET; 3-3:45 pm CT; 2-2:45 MT; 1-1:45 pm PT

Marketing, Lead Generation & Client Analysis
– Marketing Contract Training & USP
– Lead Generation Best Practices
– Analyzing Your Clients
Wednesday, June 12: 11 am – 11:45 ET; 10 – 10:45 am CT; 9 -9:45 am MT; 8 -8:45 am PT

Solutions Based Selling
  Shift your focus from just selling products or services to solving customer problems and meeting their specific needs. Build trust and credibility with customers, as it demonstrates a genuine interest in understanding their challenges and providing tailored solutions.
   Jo Ann Hall, Moraine Park Technical College, Fond du Lac, WI
Wednesday, June 12: 1 pm-1:45 ET; Noon-12:45 CT; 11-11:45 MT; 10-10:45 am PT

 

Needs Assessment in Contract Training
– What Is Needs Assessment?
– Why Do Needs Assessment?
– 8 Step Needs Assessment Process
Wednesday, June 12: 3 pm -3:45 ET; 2-2:45 CT; 1-1:45 MT; Noon-12:45 pm PT

Quality and ROI
– Two-Phase Quality Assurance
– Dealing with Complaints
– Determining ROI
Wednesday, June 12: 4 pm -4:45 ET; 3-3:45 pm CT; 2-2:45 MT; 1-1:45 pm PT

Town Halls 

Town Halls
A hit every year!  Come meet with your fellow conference attendees to discuss trends, best practices, strategies, and challenges
11 am – 11:45 ET; 10 – 10:45 am CT; 9 -9:45 am MT; 8 -8:45 am PT

Certified Contract Trainer (CCT)
 An information session for conference participants who wish to study online, do the live Study Session, and take the exam.  No extra cost for attendees to earn the initials and get a certificate suitable for framing.  Optional cost: for the CCT medal and frame with certificate, $100 US, $125 CAN.