Where Learning Meets Work

Whether you’re building new skills, changing direction or supporting your team’s growth, finding learning that fits your schedule matters. As workforce needs shift across industries, both individuals and employers are looking for practical ways to keep pace.

At the University of Minnesota College of Continuing and Professional Studies (CCAPS), workforce and professional development programs offer instructor-led courses, certificate programs and cohort-based training designed to build relevant, job-ready skills. Most programs are delivered online, allowing learners to participate from anywhere, while daytime and evening options make it easier to plan around work and other commitments.

These offerings support individual learners and organizations alike, providing clear, structured ways to build skills and strengthen team capabilities.

“Access is a big part of this work,” says Ross Jahnke, director of multiweek Professional Development Programs. “When learning is easier to reach and clearly connected to people’s current or future work, it opens up new possibilities for individuals and the organizations they’re part of.”

Pathways for Engaging in Workforce and Professional Development

The programs are structured to support different types of learners and organizational needs, with two primary ways to participate.

Individual Participation

Working professionals seeking to upskill or change careers can gain the necessary competencies via courses, certificate programs and English-language training.

Courses

Courses are offered 100% online and in two different formats, allowing learners to gain targeted skills in a relatively brief timeframe through live, instructor-led sessions: short courses and multiweek courses. Short courses are typically delivered over two days, with approximately six hours of instruction. Multiweek courses are four to six weeks in length. Each week has three to four hours of learning done at times that work best for you, plus a 60- to 90-minute Zoom session. These offerings focus on skill-building in a variety of areas such as project management, communications, business analysis, digital marketing and financial management.

Certificates

Certificate programs are designed as structured sequences of learning that help individuals and organizations build a broader, more cohesive set of skills. These programs offer different levels of depth and time commitment.

Some programs are composed of a series of short courses, allowing learners to build knowledge across a topic area through multiple focused learning experiences. This approach helps professionals deepen their understanding over time while giving employers a way to develop consistent skills across teams.

Other, newer certificate programs are made up of multiweek courses that allow for more sustained engagement. These programs provide additional time for practice and application, with opportunities for more independent work using tools, frameworks and concepts introduced throughout the course. This can support more in-depth skill development and stronger alignment between learning and day-to-day work.

English Language Training

Across industries such as construction, healthcare and manufacturing, employers continue to face workforce shortages in areas where multilingual employees can play an increasingly important role. Supporting these workers with stronger workplace communication skills can improve safety, collaboration and career mobility. English-language offerings from the Minnesota English Language Program include:

• Workplace English for beginners: foundational training focused on communicating with supervisors and coworkers, understanding basic instructions and using essential industry-specific vocabulary. This program helps frontline workers communicate effectively in high-stakes environments like manufacturing, construction and healthcare.
• English programs for professionals: advanced language development for employees in corporate or administrative roles who need to master presentations, report writing and cross-team collaboration. These programs support clearer communication across teams and roles.
• One-on-one coaching: tailored, high-impact sessions for leaders and other professionals who require specialized support in public speaking, pronunciation or intercultural communication. This individualized approach supports more confident communication in high-visibility settings.

“We’re focused on helping learners communicate clearly in the situations they face every day at work,” says David Atterberry, director of the University’s Minnesota English Language Program. “Employers that invest in language training can help their employees prepare to move up into new roles, increase employee retention and attract new employees to their organizations. It’s an investment that really pays off over time!”

Employer-Sponsored Learning and Cohort-Based Training

Organizations may enroll employees in existing programs or work with CCAPS to build a coordinated set of courses and programs from existing offerings that align with organizational priorities. These course combinations bring together content across subject areas to support shared learning goals. By focusing on team-based learning, organizations can support consistent skill development across departments while connecting training directly to day-to-day work. Partnerships span both public- and private-sector organizations.

“When staff go through the same training together, it creates consistency,” says Julia Miller, who oversees employee career development in Hennepin County’s Employee Career Center. Miller has been arranging training through CCAPS for her teams since 2020. “People are using the same language and approaches, which makes it easier to collaborate and move work forward. This approach allows us to build skills across our enterprise without pulling people away from their work for long periods. It’s a practical way to invest in staff development while keeping things moving.”

Expanding Certificate Offerings

CCAPS continues to expand its certificate offerings to reflect changing workforce needs. About ten new multiweek certificates are expected to launch each year across a range of subject areas. Recently developed programs include Program Management, AI for Business Operations and Change Management certificates. These areas reflect skills that are increasingly relevant across roles and industries.

“We’re focused on helping people build skills they can use right away,” says Jahnke. “Across industries, we’re seeing growing demand for skills in areas like data and AI as well as core professional skills like leadership and communications — not just in specialized roles, but across teams and functions. That means offering learning that fits into their lives and connects directly to the work they’re doing, or the work they want to move into.”

Supporting Lifelong Learning

Workforce development is part of the University’s broader effort to expand career-connected learning opportunities, strengthen employer partnerships and support organizations and individuals as they respond to evolving workforce needs. The programs are designed to help learners build skills that can be applied in real time as job requirements and industries change.

Scholarship opportunities are available for qualified learners, helping reduce financial barriers and expand access for those seeking to build or update skills. This supports just-in-time skill development for professionals across a wide range of fields.

Together, these efforts reflect a commitment to lifelong learning that extends beyond a single course or credential. At the University of Minnesota, that commitment is grounded in the idea that learning should remain accessible, relevant and connected to the needs of communities and workplaces across Minnesota and beyond.