The B Corp Committee appreciated hearing from those of you who completed our Professional Development Benefit Survey recently. We learned about how some are using it, why others aren’t using it, and what questions you have about it.
Findings
We also learned that people would like to be trained in
- Project management and PM tools
- People management/leadership
- MS Office tools, especially all levels of Excel
- CRM and/or Salesforce
Specifics from HR
Year-to-date professional development spending is $22,374, reflecting our team members‘ continued investment in growth and capability building. Team members have used these funds to obtain new certifications, maintain required professional credentials through recertifications, complete environmental policy and health and safety training, and pursue bachelor’s degree programs. These investments strengthen technical expertise, support career advancement and help ensure we maintain industry knowledge and compliance requirements. It also allows team members to bring new skills and best practices back to the organization.
In summary
Some team members thanked us for asking, and others asked why we ran the survey. As a Certified B Corporation, Evergreen prides itself on offering this and other benefits that can challenge, enlighten and stimulate the team. We wanted to understand what the barriers are to using professional development monies. We were pleased to learn how it has been used to help teammates earn certifications, degrees and knowledge.
Reminder: Reimbursement for professional development, continuing education courses, webinars, seminars, certifications, and other courses deemed eligible is limited to $1,000 per employee per calendar year.
If you are pursuing postsecondary degrees such as an associate degree, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree, you may apply for a “Grant.” The maximum “Grant” allowance is limited to $2,500 per calendar year.