Companies are having a difficult time retaining employees, especially entry- level employees. We can assist employers through management training programs that help them make such positions more fulfilling for the incumbent and thereby reducing the turnover rate and build on SPD s current efforts. Because independent quality assessments, including the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award, have a high level of positive visibility in the business community, and the application process can be valuable to the applicant regardless of the final outcome, the University should explore its eligibility for such distinctions and seriously consider pursuing the application process for at lest one of them in the next five years. Create a professional seminar series or short courses for the business community. Have an incentive to motivate staff in the various administrative areas handling these issues.
Performance based employees are helpful employees.
There already is a track record of programs in the School of Professional Development reaching out to workers in changing industries to both advance their skills and to enable them to retool for new roles in advancing industries or new industries replacing old ones. This is also true of the School of Nursing as they have a history of providing educational opportunities for this profession via the Internet. This should continue and expand the geographical scope through electronic applications to curricula. Over the next five years expansion should be aimed at international populations who place a premium on an American education. Partnering with other educational institutions to share resources and expand the capabilities of partners.