Dear Friend,

This edition of SmartWork focuses on the benefits gained by organizations that focus on employee training and development, leading to greater success for the Chicago region, its businesses and employees.

We are pleased to highlight in this issue the winners of the WorkforceChicago2.0 Award for 2007 -- Advocate Health Care, and Deloitte & Touche USA LLP. Both were recognized at this year’s event for their outstanding commitment to expanding the skills and advancing the knowledge of their employees. We applaud their commitment to learning and development in the workplace, and for promoting exemplary practices which leads more organizations to increase investment in workforce learning.

The 2007 award event also featured two panel discussions. The first included CEOs from the WorkforceChicago2.0 Business Leadership Group, and the second was comprised of delegates from this year’s award-winning firms. These business leaders highlighted the critical need for learning and development in their respective businesses and the impact and benefits of their programs. Please click here for more information about these winning organizations and their distinctive contributions to workforce development.

Our feature article this issue focuses on “Corporate Tuition Aid.” Tuition assistance is increasingly being used by employers to retain and increase worker loyalty, which departs from the conventional belief that helping employees develop through education and training will often result in employee turnover.

We hope you find the information inspiring and relevant, and we encourage you to forward the newsletter to your colleagues and friends.


Michelle Sanford
Director WorkforceChicago2.0, CAEL
msanford@cael.org


Vol. VII Survey (September 2007):

Exemplary Practice #5 promotes that companies commit to expanding skills and knowledge beyond job-related or technical skills.

To take the survey, click here.

2007 WorkforceChicago2.0 Award Winners Announced: Advocate Health Care and Deloitte & Touche USA!

WorkforceChicago2.0 is very proud to announce Advocate Health Care and Deloitte & Touche USA as the winners of the 2007 awards! Both these organizations have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to the learning and development of their employees, truly understanding the value of investing in their workforce.

Advocate Health Care is one of the nation's largest regional health care systems. Comprised of eight hospitals and over 200 sites of care, Advocate employs over 24,000 associates region-wide with the goal of providing excellent patient care. In order to meet as well as exceed the challenging demands of the healthcare industry, Advocate has developed a more holistic approach to learning and development for its employees—one that focuses on the 'whole' person, not just the technical skills required for the job.

Adding to this the strength of their pooled resources and relationships with local higher education institutions, Advocate has been able to attract and retain a skilled workforce that constantly strives to provide the highest quality of patient care.

Deloitte & Touche USA is an international firm specializing in providing advice to some of the world's largest and most successful companies. With over 37,000 employees worldwide, Deloitte understands the value that people bring to its organization and takes a business-critical approach to building the company's intellectual capital through employee learning and development.

This successful approach has helped Deloitte become a global leader in a variety of constantly evolving practices, such as tax, accounting, consulting, and financial advisory services, among others.

Please click here to view the 2007 Award Booklet with profiles of this year's winning organizations.

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2007 Award Event held at BlueCross BlueShield Headquarters

Each year, WorkforceChicago2.0 recognizes companies in the Chicago region that exhibit exemplary employee learning and development strategies, building a culture of high performance, productivity, and pride. These winning organizations are honored by Mayor Daley and other local business leaders at a breakfast which also highlights the leading practices carried out by these companies. This year’s event was hosted by our Business Leadership Group Co-Chair, Ray McCaskey, CEO of BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois, at their Chicago headquarters.

Two panels offered stimulating discussions: the first with prominent Chicago area business leaders, and the second with representatives from this year’s winning organizations. The CEO panel included three members of the current WorkforceChicago2.0 Business Leadership Group:

  • David Carlquist, Vice President, Americas - Central Region, IBM

  • Dustan E. McCoy, Chairman & CEO, Brunswick Corporation

  • James Tyree, Chairman & CEO, Mesirow Financial

Throughout the discussion, these leaders discussed the learning and development challenges unique to their particular industries, specific features of programs or practices their organizations have found successful, and their perspectives on the role of learning in the future knowledge economy.

The second panel included representatives from the 2007 WorkforceChicago2.0 Award winning organizations below:

Advocate Health Care

  • James Skogsbergh, President & CEO
  • Cheryl Piencak, Director, Associate and Management Development
  • AnnMarie Rupp, Illinois Central Laboratory (ICL) Supervisor

Deloitte & Touche USA:

  • Deborah DeHaas, Vice Chairman and Regional Manager Partner- Midwest Region
  • Robert Sobiech, Director of Human Resources- Midwest Region
  • Muhammad Gigani, Tax Manager, Lead Tax Services

Panelists discussed a wide variety of topics, including why learning and development is critical to business, how successful learning and development programs are implemented, and how programs can impact front-line employees and the overall culture of the organization.

The award event was a huge success, offering guests a unique view of how the region's business leaders are implementing important business practices. For more information, link to the WorkforceChicago2.0 website here.

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New Member Update: Recent additions to the Business Leadership Group

We are pleased to announce two new members to the WorkforceChicago2.0 Business Leadership Group: Adam Gutstein, President and CEO of Diamond Management & Technology Consultants Inc., and David Hefner, President of the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Diamond Management & Technology Consultants Inc. is a leading management and technology consulting firm. Headquartered in Chicago, with offices in New York, Washington, D.C., Hartford, London and Mumbai, Diamond is a truly global company dedicated to the learning and development of their employees.

The University of Chicago Medical Center has been a regional leader in medicine for more than 75 years. Located in Hyde Park, the Center consists of three hospitals, numerous care centers throughout the region, and the prestigious University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. The Center is also regularly ranked as one of the most progressive care centers in the nation, offering its employees numerous opportunities for continuous education and development.

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Feature Article- "Corporate Tuition Aid Seems to Keep Workers Loyal", by Erin White of the Wall Street Journal

In an increasingly competitive market where skilled employees are in high demand, many companies are utilizing different methods to develop a loyal employee base, which is truly at the heart of their intellectual capital.

In May, Erin White of the Wall Street Journal published an article on the ability of corporate tuition aid, or tuition reimbursement, to help companies better satisfy and retain their employees. This goes against the conventional wisdom that assisting your employees in gaining more education and training increases their likelihood of leaving—as it was often thought to make employees more marketable to competing employers.

Though investing in your employees does, in fact, make them more marketable, many studies are finding that the loyalty such investments bring can lead to retention.

To read this article in full on the Wall Street Journal website, click here.

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3rd Annual Tuition Strategy Forum

Human resource professionals, chief learning officers, benefits administrators and others interested in talent management will gather in San Francisco on November 7, 2007 to share best practices and learn from their colleagues. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to gain insights on ways to improve your tuition assistance program at the CAEL 2007 International Conference Pre-conference Event. Click here for more information.

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