Q: Our non-credit schedule is my responsibility here at Carroll, and we know we need to make some changes going in to fall. As members of LERN, we thought we’d take advantage your expertise.
We currently produce three schedules annually: Fall (Aug. – Dec.); Winter/Spring (Jan. – Apr.); and Spring/Summer (Apr. – Aug.). Our brochure has been called “Balance” with the subtitle “Work. Home. Self.” for at least 8 years. It includes all non-credit courses and training including both workforce and personal enrichment.
In addition to Balance, which is mailed to every home in Carroll County three times a year, we want to produce a separate Workforce schedule or at-a-glance that our staff could take out to businesses to help sell classes. It would include all of our workforce/business training courses including business and small business, child care and educational professionals, construction trades, information technology, occupational training, etc.
Our question is, what would businesses find more appealing: a full schedule with course titles, descriptions, dates, times and location like our Balance, or a simpler at-a-glance publication that would only include course titles with start dates and times. We would then send them to our website for more details. Do you have any information on other colleges using an at-a-glance type publication, or separate workforce/career and professional training schedules?
A: This is a great question. Many organizations have separate brochures to promote their workforce development and professional training opportunities. There is a sound reason for this. Combining enrichment programs with professional development programs in the same brochure can have a negative impact on both types of courses. Those interested in business and professional courses are less likely to consider those courses offered in the same brochure as being at the level they are looking for, and the image of enrichment programming and personal development which is conveyed in the brochure can reduce the value that business and professional customers assign to your offerings.
Likewise, most organizations that combine these two types of programming in one publication put professional development courses in the front of the brochure and enrichment in the back. Those programs in the back of the brochure are then less likely to be seen and read, and enrollments can suffer. Particularly when the brochure is opened and the first several pages focus on professional development, those looking for enrichment programming may be turned off.