New development catalog offers many training options for staff

By Kathleen Phillips Satz Human Resources

13 SEPTEMBER 00 | When Pat Lavelle, Employee Development and Training manager, talks to Berkeley staff, she often hears a "wish list" for campus learning opportunities.

The two most common requests: classes that support campus supervisors in their jobs and ones that help employees plan their career development.

Answers to many such requests arrived in staff mailboxes via campus mail last week. The 2000-2001 Catalog of Programs and Services for Employee Development, produced by Human Resources' Employee Development and Training staff, highlights new and continuing offerings from 40 campus programs.

"The catalog will support skill development needs and interests as staff travel on their own unique career paths in our diverse and vibrant campus workplace," said Sandra Haire, assistant vice chancellor for human resources.

Managers, supervisors, and staff employees can find everything from foundational skills like writing to more abstract subjects like managing a project when you're not the person in charge.

Skills that are becoming critical in the more complex work environment - such as analytical approaches to data available from financial and human resources systems - are also among this year's offerings.

Classes on workplace safety, strategies for handling conflict and campus business processes are also featured in the catalog.

A career development series starting in December features 11 workshops on assessing your interests and skills, creating a career development plan, exploring options within the university and related topics. The supervisory development lab launched last year to rave reviews is being repeated over the coming months.

For many of the offerings - including Human Resources courses, CAL PACT computer training, and classes on using the Berkeley Financial System - staff may enroll online through the Interactive Enrollment System, or ICE (hrweb.berkeley.edu/ice/home/). Additional classes will be available through ICE later this fall.

In addition to classes offered through the catalog, Berkeley staff members have other options for learning and career development. University Extension offers a 25 percent discount on many of its classes; staff are also eligible for a reduced fee for UC courses.