Top NavTop NavTop Nav

Universities can help businesses develop critical skills

Brian Cook

Brian Cook

  • June 10, 2011 5:48am

Retiring baby boomers, fewer workers entering the labor force, and a series of recessions have created a nationwide shortage of employees with critical skills.Northern California Smart Business interviewed Brian Cook, executive director of Continuing and International Education at California State University, East Bay, for an article about developing and retaining talent by tapping the expertise of a local university. Read article.

“The talent shortage has reached the critical stage, especially in the Bay Area,” says Cook. "The situation will only get worse, unless employers recommit themselves to developing and retaining valuable employees."

Given today’s business landscape, employers can’t afford to churn staff and continuously compete for scarce employees on the open market. One important way to stay competitive is by growing your own talent. But companies don’t need to spend a fortune to reinvigorate in-house training programs or author new curriculums, when they can achieve the same results at a fraction of the cost by partnering with their local university.

Cook explains that universities have evolved with the current business climate, “Historically, local universities focused on the needs of full-time students who were pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees. But today, most students are working professionals, so local universities have taken on an expanded role, which includes supporting the local business community and fulfilling the need for lifelong professional education.”

For more information, contact Brian Cook at (510) 885-7504 or brian.cook@csueastbay.edu.

KL

© California State University, East Bay. All Rights Reserved.