Thanks to actions taken by the Xavier University Leadership Center, ABX Air employees in the Wilmington, OH distribution hub have the opportunity to undertake valuable training that will help give them the competitive edge during a time of instability.
Last November DHL made more than 9,500 job cuts, of which their Wilmington employees took 7,000. Together, DHL, ABX Air and Astar Air Cargo run the Wilmington hub.
But the good news is that Bruce Miller, Managing Partner of the Xavier University Leadership Center, has taken notice.
"With all of the attention Wilmington was receiving, I began thinking more and more about the community and their families," Miller says. After contacting ABX Air reps, Miller found that "a number of employees identified specific skills and industry-recognized certifications required by potential employers, yet they were having difficulty getting these programs offered at one of the two on-site transition centers."
Working with this knowledge, Miller began working with John Cavallaro, ABX Air's Manager of Flight Technical Training, and Keith Hyde, Chairman of the state's Workforce Development Committee.
Together, they found a solution.
With the help of Cavallaro and Hyde, Miller was able to access funds from Wilmington's $4 million National Emergency Grant from the Department of Labor, as well as other funds from the State of Ohio's Career Advancement Account, to give ABX Air employees access to relevant training offered by Xavier.
"The first program prepares participants for the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, recognized globally as the standard for project management excellence by the Project Management Institute (PMI)," Miller says.
The program instructors have ideal backgrounds to ensure that this program offers a good balance of theory and practice.
Dr. Tim Kloppenborg, a Castellini Distinguished Professor of Management in Xavier’s Williams College of Business, will teach alongside Denny Evans, a former Procter & Gamble manager.
Once participants are finished, they will be in a place of real choice as far as new job prospects are concerned.
"It addresses all aspects of project management," Miller says. "From knowledge to practical application to ensuring participants are fully prepared to sit for the exam. We even included the application process for certification. All the employees have to do after completing the program is to pass the exam."
This is just the start.
Xavier's Leadership Center is discussing the possibility of offering further certification programs for DHL, ABX Air and Astar Air Cargo.
Writer: Jonathan DeHart
Source: Laurel Bauer, Xavier University
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.