Member Stories: Partnerships

When the Continuing Education Department at Central Oregon Community College began creating a new product for existing

customers, they thought really big. Rather than limiting themselves to a single course or area of programming, Nancy Jumper, Professional Development & Workforce Program Manager, listened to customers and contracted training clients from the public sector and developed a new partnership with five agencies – Deschutes County, City of Bend, City of Redmond, Deschutes Public Library, and the Bend Metro Parks & Recreation District.
With the goals of enhancing employee skills, increasing retention, and assisting with succession planning. The Public Sector Partners agreed on a formula to determine the financial contributions and number of seats allotted to each entity. Partners also pooled resources so the Continuing Education Department could bring in highly-qualified instructors. A training and human resources professional advisory group determined partner needs which fueled the creation of a catalog of ala carte training opportunities. The catalog consisted of topics including leadership, customer service, and business writing, offered twice per year, for employees of the partner agencies. An Essential Leadership program series was also developed. The Public Sector Partners agreed on the topics offered but also agreed on pricing, scheduling, and marketing to their respective employees.
Since forming the partnership, a sixth partner – the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council –joined and more than 1,600 employees/students have participated in the trainings. The Public Sector Partnership generates 11 percent of all Continuing Education Department revenue, and has resulted in additional customized course sales, team building contracts, and the development of new courses.