Human Resources Receives Award for Professional Development Institute
Duke Human Resources was recently recognized by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources
(CUPA-HR) for the success of its Professional Development Institute.
In April, Duke Human Resources received the Quality in Human Resource Practice Award at the CUPA-HR Southern Region conference
and has been nominated for a national award that will be announced at the CUPA-HR National Conference in September.
The Professional Development Institute is dedicated to providing targeted development programs to meet specific staffing needs
of Duke as well as the desire for professional development among staff. The program also supports Duke's commitment to diversity
by enhancing the percentages of women and minorities in higher-level positions. The Human Resource Practice Award recognizes the
successful development and implementation of a unique approach to a process or practice that is traditionally offered by Human Resources.
"What is unique about the Professional Development Institute is the partnership between supervisors, professional development staff,
mentors, recruiters and hiring managers," said Clint Davidson, vice president of Human Resources. "Most organizations focus solely
on the training component and have only mild success in helping staff move into positions with greater responsibility. Through PDI,
Duke has focused as much effort in helping graduates of the program secure promotional opportunities or advance into higher-level
positions that take advantage of their newly learned skills. As a result, 80 percent of participants have successfully moved into
new positions."
The Institute's first program, the office staff development program, is designed to help those in entry-level service and office
support positions develop the skills and knowledge they need to qualify for career advancement opportunities at Duke.
"The intensive 40-week program enables participants to take classes on computer programs used at Duke and polish their customer
service, business writing, and career-planning skills," said Sally Allison, manager of the Professional Development Institute.
"Participants also engage in internships to apply the skills they have learned in a supervised work environment and partner with
mentors at Duke who help provide valuable insight and experience about job responsibilities. From the first four classes, the program
has enjoyed a 96 percent graduation rate."
The Institute also offers a resource center for Duke staff that contains a variety of career-focused brochures, publications, books,
as well as a computer kiosk for convenient access to Duke's on-line job listing and other electronic job-related resources. Staff
members may also arrange for an individual appointment with a career specialist to explore career planning options and update their
resume and interviewing skills.
For more information about the Professional Development Institute, you may call 684-5406, stop by the Institute's office located
at 3616 Duke South (Yellow Zone), or visit the PDI Web Site.
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