Summer may be the time to take a professional development course

UO employees looking to sharpen their skills or pick up some new ones over the summer are invited to check out the list of professional development opportunities offered through the Office of Human Resources.

Highlighted courses were recently shared in an email from Pam Farmer, director of professional development.

The office’s professional development team, led by Farmer, works with departments across campus to design and deliver a range of training opportunities. These range from instructor-led training to self-paced e-learning programs delivered online.

Last year, professional development helped more than 5,000 employees brush up on their abilities in six areas: business skills, communication skills, computer skills, customer service, leadership skills and new employee orientation.

Through its Making Tracks website, professional development provides a central location where the UO community can find and register for training programs. Making Tracks makes it easy for both employees interested in skill development and instructors handling the courses to get the information they need.

Professional development also is the portal for the Skillsoft e-learning program. The program provides more than 3,000 courses that are available to any UO employee at any time. Last year, 175 departments made use of the service, and 241 unique users connected with 1,395 resources that ranged from courses and job aids to simulations and videos.

For a full list of professional development services, click here.