Frontline Credentialing Program Helps New Leaders Master Timeless Skills

People often describe CAEL's work as "connecting the dots" within different niches of the education-employment ecosystem. The resulting mosaics elevate individual efforts into systemic impact. A great example of this is CAEL's collaboration with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). In 2020, CAEL and PASSHE hosted regional workforce assemblies to help education, workforce development, and employment leaders align adult learner education and training strategies with employment needs in high-demand occupations. The assemblies supported the statewide #PreparedforPA initiative, helping link employer-validated competencies to career pathways in six growth industries. #PreparedforPA is supported with funding from Lumina Foundation and Strada Education Foundation. (Strada Education Foundation also supports Strada Collaborative, of which CAEL is a member.)

The collaboration would forge key connections instrumental to the successful Frontline Leadership Credentialing Program at Shippensburg University, a member of Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education. The first cohort launched in 2022. Prior to that, CAEL had developed competency maps for each of the six #PreparedforPA focus industries. Such connections--with employers, workforce developers, and even other postsecondary institutions--have remained at the heart of the program and its continuing expansion today. 

Recruiting Leaders From Within
The GIANT Company, a major employer headquartered near Shippensburg, was the credentialing program's first employer partner. The company was also a partner in PASSHE's broader workforce development efforts.

The company wanted to upskill high-potential frontline workers, such as cashiers, stockers, and other entry-level employees. These workers had proven they had the skills to succeed in their everyday tasks and stood to benefit from additional training that could help them assume leadership roles.

To help them succeed in their first foray into leadership, the company wanted to complement the occupational prowess they had developed with what Shippensburg calls durable, or transferable, skills. To enhance the professional development programs available to its incumbent workforces, it reached out to the university, which is located close to The GIANT Company’s headquarters.

Employees complete the Frontline Leadership Credentialing Program over eight weeks. The classes, taken during work, include 32 hours of synchronous and four hours of asynchronous learning. Focal points include interpersonal skills, problem solving, communication, cultural understanding and initiative, and other core leadership skills. Each class is capped at 25 students.

The program is supported with public and private funding, including grants from the U.S. Department of Labor and PASSHE. It supplies computers, headphones, and other accessories needed to complete the classes as needed. Classes are free to employers who wish to send their current workers for professional development.

“We currently have grant funding that allows us to offer the program at no cost to employers,” said Tracy Montoro, director of workforce development at Shippensburg. “A previous grant enabled us to purchase laptops that participants can borrow for the course. This support, along with the current funding, assists us in removing barriers that might keep participants from taking advantage of this valuable training

Working Wonders With Workforce Development Boards
Employer input has been a cornerstone of the program. Their perspective shaped curriculum development, prioritizing topics and skills in regular meetings that continue today.

Tennessee-based Bake Crafters joined the program soon after The Giant Company. Today, the program totals nearly 20 employer partners. SCPa Works, a workforce development board covering eight counties in South Central Pennsylvania (and yet another CAEL collaborator), was instrumental in bringing many of them to the table.

As CAEL continues to welcome different niches of the education-employment ecosystem to its growing membership, it has been raising awareness about the importance of higher ed partnering with workforce boards, which are often overlooked as universities seek to better align curricula with evolving employer needs. Chambers are well connected to employers and labor market data, and SCPa Works had convened employer sessions around the agribusiness industry, offering Shippensburg an opportunity to meet with them and discuss training needs in detail.

Understanding Employer Needs
Building a strong regional economy requires aligning curricula with employer needs. Shippensburg is conscientious about not only promoting its own capacities but also taking the time to listen intently to employer pain points.

While SCPa Works has been a major resource in staying in touch with employers, the university has also marshalled its own assets, like career centers. Such functions, which are likely to exist on any campus, offer institutions an opportunity to engage directly with employers on an ongoing basis.

High Demand for Transferable Skills
Any company with operations in the area can partner with the Frontline Leadership Credentialing Program. In fact, partners have diversified since the program launched with an agribusiness focus. Today, they also include banks, IT, transportation, and construction, to name a few. Students from as far away as England have enrolled in the program.

The program's appeal beyond its original agribusiness scope is a testament to the durability, transferability, and necessity of the skills it teaches, said Montoro. “Employers have to focus on job-specific training and often don’t have the capacity to train in necessary leadership and soft skills. This is where we can come alongside of the employer and provide additional support. We no longer market the program to a specific industry."

Students appreciate the cross-sector mix. "The feedback from the students has been that they like hearing what's happening in other industries and other businesses instead of just being with their own people from their own industry," said Montoro.

That growth also means workers are more likely to interact with colleagues in different stages of their career. While designed for frontline workers with a high school diploma or associate degree, the program has welcomed employees with law degrees and doctorates, showing that transferable skills are needed across all levels of incumbent workers.

At an IT company, continual cohorts of employees are completing the program. “Staff are increasingly tasked with sales and management roles,” said Montoro. "They’ve asked, 'Do you have anything just to teach them to talk to people?'"

Fellow education partners are also key contributors to the program’s success. Montoro meets weekly with Harrisburg Area Community College. "The fact that we're collaborating with other institutions on this program is huge," she said. The college helps with curriculum design and provides instructors.

Impact Thus Far and Future Plans
To date, about 150 employees have completed the Frontline Credentialing Leadership Program. Many employers are repeat customers, contributing workers to multiple cohorts.

Worker and employer feedback has been stellar, said Montoro, who has witnessed success stories from the very first class. They typically involve workplace promotions, but she says completing the courses often gives students who otherwise would never have considered college the confidence to enroll in additional programs.

One stirring success story was documented by United Way, which helped connect a pregnant woman who was living on the streets with child care and other resources, allowing her to take a job at The Giant Company. Once there, her new career was further supported through participation in the Frontline Leadership Credentialing Program.

The program was also recognized by the University Professional and Continuing Education Association, receiving a 2022 Partnership Award. The accolade acknowledged the unique collaboration of inaugural partners The GIANT Company, Bake Crafters, SCPa Works, HACC, Shippensburg University, and Harrisburg University of Science and Technology.

The Frontline Credentialing Leadership Program was also a highlight of CAEL’s Workforce Development Month observances. It was featured in a September CAEL member workshop, Connecting the Dots: Industry, Education and Workforce - The Importance of Ecosystems. Montoro joined Patricia Wallace, senior vice president of initiatives and membership at CAEL, and Darrah Mugrauer, CAEL director of initiatives, to present CAEL's approach to ecosystem engagement through a case study of Shippensburg University's multi-year collaboration with CAEL.

Even as a noncredit offering, the program has done much to fuel educational and career attainment. In the future, Shippensburg hopes to add proactive CPL crosswalks that would create credit opportunities for completing the program. There are also plans to offer similar dedicated programming to mid- and executive-level leaders as well.