For two years, SkillPath has served the professional community of Central Exchange as a corporate partner. SkillPath has gone above and beyond to partner with CX and lead a number of development sessions with their strategic and innovative training solutions. At the helm of the partnership between Central Exchange and SkillPath is Michele Markey, SkillPath’s General Manager Training Operations and Educational Resources. “For both organizations, we went into the partnership with our eyes open, hopeful that it would be fruitful,” Michele notes. “Not only has it been fruitful, it’s been beyond what we could have hoped for.”
Missions aligned
SkillPath’s mission is to provide the highest-quality training for companies and businesspeople around the world, so they can benefit personally and professionally from the experience. When Michele joined SkillPath, she recognized how well-aligned this mission was that of Central Exchange.
“I knew Central Exchange had identified opportunities from a programming standpoint,” Michele explains. “At SkillPath, we had an organization with a tremendous amount of content. It really was a match made in heaven for us. There’s a parallel here that I feel really passionate about.”
Michelle Markey, SkillPath General Manager Training Operations and Educational Resources
Impactful training opportunities
With thousands of training courses and professional facilitators at the ready, SkillPath meets the educational needs of Central Exchange’s professional community. In addition to being a valued partner of Central Exchange, SkillPath also provides programs throughout the calendar year. “We provide two sessions a month for Central Exchange, whether at the downtown Central Exchange location or in our own Center for Professional Development,” Michele shares.
SkillPath has led insightful training sessions for Central Exchange members on topics ranging from emotional intelligence to professional branding. The organization even brought in a panel to discuss negotiation, featuring executives from MarksNelson and Russell Stover. “We like to provide training sessions that are timely and robust for Central Exchange,” Michele notes. “We’re bringing things that are unique to the table. It’s not just another seminar on leadership. It’s fun and dynamic.”
A commitment to Kansas City
Because of the organization’s love for the Kansas City community, SkillPath enjoys partnering with organizations that also have deep roots in the area. “The legacy of Central Exchange in Kansas City is really important,” Michele says. “It’s important to us not only to acknowledge those roots but to also honor them as part of this city.”
SkillPath enjoys partnering with organizations that also have deep roots in the area.
One of the benefits of working with Central Exchange is amplifying SkillPath’s local impact. “We have a vibrant presence here with our local organizations,” Michele says. “We have tremendous talent in teaching leadership, communications, HR, compliance, OSHA, you name it. Our on-site learning solutions include the standard things businesses need and new areas organizations want to be talking about.”
Trainings as a strategic advantage
New SkillPath offerings include trainings on unconscious bias, diversity and inclusion. “Having those conversations can be challenging or scary for organizations,” Michele relates. “At SkillPath, we can come in and help those organizations navigate these topics with training that encourages healthy conversations and gives words to the things that need to be said.” In these ways, SkillPath continues to push the standard on topics that may have been marginalized due to fear and upset.
“We consider leadership training and development a strategic advantage,” Michele says. “Sometimes it’s viewed as checking the box, but the organizations that are really thriving are those that look to meet the needs of their employees and building that into their growth strategy.”
Thanks to SkillPath for being a generous partner of Central Exchange and delivering incredible training opportunities for our members. By coming together, we can empower the Kansas City community to achieve great things. Join our efforts to rise together as professional women. Become a corporate partner of Central Exchange.
