Apply for Office Staff Development Program by June 14

Duke's Professional Development Institute is recruiting for the 2014 class of the Office Staff Development Program, a career development program for entry-level Duke University and Duke University Health System staff.

The Office Staff Development Program, which is a yearlong class, provides a strong introduction to office skills and protocols and helps participants develop knowledge to qualify for advancement within Duke while working full-time.  The program is open to employees in clerical or service jobs at levels 2 through 5 in the university and levels B1 and B2 in the health system.

Applications are due June 14 and interviews are in late June. The class begins August 6. To apply, employees must have at least two years of continuous service at Duke, a high school diploma or GED, successful performance reviews and strong letter of recommendation from a current manager. 

"The skills and behaviors taught in this class help participants become even more valuable in their current positions and prepare them for opportunities to move into other jobs or career paths at Duke," said Sally Allison, assistant director for recruitment and manager of the Professional Development Institute.

Participants take classes in customer service, writing, computer skills and professional behavior from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. three days a week and from 8:30 to 5 p.m. one Monday each month. During the final 36 weeks of the program, participants spend five hours each week in an internship at Duke. Throughout the program, participants receive their pay while training during work hours, and Duke reimburses the department for a portion of that time. In return for Duke's investment, participants must commit to remain at Duke for at least 18 months after graduation.

Rodney Coffin, who graduated from the Office Staff Development program in 2011, said the class gave him an introduction to financial systems and human resources database programs. After completing the program, Coffin was promoted from a Level 4 position at the Duke Press Warehouse to a Level 7 staff assistant position in the Office of Research Support.

"I had to step way out of my comfort zone to take the program," Coffin said. "I have four kids, and I had to sacrifice family time, but I saw it as a great opportunity to grow my career rather than just wandering."

According to Allison, approximately 90 percent of program graduates have been promoted into office staff positions and front-line patient service positions at Duke since the program began in 2003.

"Training programs like this reflect Duke's commitment to develop the talent that has already walked through the door," Allison said.