Washington State Employees Credit Union Taps Brandman University for Customized Corporate Training Program

IRVINE, CA--(Marketwired - Oct 7, 2013) - Brandman University's School of Extended Education, the entrepreneurial division of Brandman University, has partnered with the Washington State Employees Credit Union (WSECU), a community of more than 200,000 members, to design, develop and deliver a comprehensive, customized leadership training program for its mid-level leaders.

The 144-hour program builds skills in five core areas that were selected as top priorities by WSECU leaders: developing effective individuals and teams, a learning culture, people for organizational effectiveness, and effective organizations. The School of Extended Education's corporate training division worked closely with WSECU's HR and Training teams to align curriculum with the organization's core values and culture and create a formal mentoring program to support leadership development.

The pilot training program, with a select group of managers and directors, commenced this May and will run through November 2014. Students develop skills via on-ground classes at Brandman's Lacey, Wash. campus, online courses, and individual leadership development plans. Results from the pilot program are continually assessed and adjustments are made to ensure the organization's needs are met. According to Denise Hagen, SPHR, Vice President of Human Resources and Training at WSECU, the response from employees so far has been positive and the organization plans to bring in a second group for training on the coat tails of the pilot group.

"From the get-go, Brandman has been in total lock-step with our team," says Hagen. "We have extremely high service values, and realized from the beginning that Brandman shares those same standards. Brandman's School of Extended Education worked hand-in-hand with us to create the specific curriculum we desired -- customizing it to provide us with an innovative and informative leadership program, Leadership U, that provides our mid-level leaders an ideal path for growing within our organization."

"Brandman University's School of Extended Education works closely with industry experts to develop cutting-edge programs that support an evolving workforce's relentless need to expand existing competencies and build new skills," says Kathleen Wilson, Director of Leadership Programs and Corporate Training at the School of Extended Education. "It's very rewarding to work with corporate clients like WSECU that hold such high values and want to provide employees with everything they need to be successful. We're pleased to have been selected by the organization to build them a custom program and look forward to our continued partnership, as well as the impact our collaboration will have on the organization and its employees."

The School of Extended Education has an excellent track record of consulting and collaborating with organizations to design, develop and deliver custom programming. Its clients include major employers in both the public and private sectors. In addition to highly customized corporate training programs, the school provides many businesses and organizations with "off the shelf" education and training solutions. To learn more, visit www.brandman.edu/exed. 

About Brandman University's School of Extended Education: Brandman University's School of Extended Education responds quickly to offer relevant and valuable courses that prepare individuals and organizations with workforce and professional development education that addresses today's fast-changing industries and evolving needs. Focusing on leadership, business, technology, health and wellness, education and general education, the School of Extended Education provides degree programs, workshops, seminars, certificate programs, leadership modules and programming leading to certification and academic credit. Its programs are created by the joint effort of Brandman faculty and instructors, working professionals and industry experts through a series of collaborative advisory boards while drawing from the rich history and prestigious reputation of Chapman University. This approach provides sustainable educational solutions that adjust to the needs of the real world. Brandman University is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The University's online graduate business programs, including its MBA, were recently ranked among the top in the country by U.S. News & World Report. Brandman has also been recognized as one of the top 10 providers of SHRM certification courses for human resources professionals. Visit www.brandman.edu/exed/ or call 1.800.632.0094 for more information.

WSECU is a not-for-profit member-owned credit union serving the people of Washington State. With a full suite of financial offerings and exceptional service, WSECU is dedicated to its members' success and community prosperity. Additional information can be found on online at http://wsecu.org.