Lifelong Learning, Accelerated

Now, Graceland has teamed with its partner in professional development, SkillPath, to offer an accelerated pathway for empowerment and growth: Graceland Forward was officially launched this summer.

Graceland has a 125-year history of keeping an eye on continuously evolving workplace needs to position students just where they need to be on their initial and continuing professional journeys. In 1995, Graceland acquired SkillPath to provide learning opportunities from the classroom to the boardroom.

To President Patricia Draves, Graceland Forward is just a natural progression of this shared commitment to foster lifelong learning and keep innovating how it is delivered. Draves is excited about the potential of this new platform to shape business leadership far beyond Iowa and the Kansas City metropolitan area, where SkillPath is based: “Graceland Forward will educate transformational leaders in businesses and organizations across the world.”

Graceland Forward definitely does not hesitate to accelerate professional development: the online programs are delivered over the course of three days up to one week. In the live setting of the classes, learners interact directly with their business expert instructors and classmates. The personal investment of daily three-hour sessions provides them with career-focused skills they can immediately put into practice at work.

“These accelerated certificate programs are affordable, accessible, and provide the skills individuals need to make career transitions, get promoted, make personal improvements, and stay marketable.”

JEFF McELROY
Faculty Advisor, Graceland Forward
Chair, C.H. Sandage School of Business

Once they complete a comprehensive exam, they receive a professional certificate from Graceland University along with an eBadge that they can proudly display in a digital format. As new cohorts kick off monthly, scheduling is very flexible, and the accelerated certificates may be eligible for employers’ tuition reimbursement programs.

Currently, the program catalogue covers a wide range of essential leadership aspects and highly valuable competencies in strategic and HR management, administration, data processing/analysis, and communication.

With this offering, Graceland Forward is all set for success, finds Jeff McElroy, faculty advisor for Graceland Forward and Chair of the C.H. Sandage School of Business. “These accelerated certificate programs are affordable, accessible, and provide the skills individuals need to make career transitions, get promoted, make personal improvements, and stay marketable.” Michele Markey, CEO of SkillPath, agrees: “They’re a perfect fit for today’s busy, on-the-move professionals.”

Interested in what Graceland Forward has to offer? Learn more here.