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What is a Corporate University?

Manager, does your company have limited resources to invest in employee training? If your answer to this question is positive, you need to know the educational model called Corporate University.

This is a trend that is gaining strength here in Brazil. The differential of this model consists in the fact that it is not necessary to have a large structure or a high investment to make a difference in the training and qualification of employees.

Want to know more about the subject? Follow the text in full and find out how this model can contribute to your company having an amazing team.

What is a corporate university

Increased competitiveness, the emergence of new technologies and the new consumer market profile require companies to continually develop and update their market strategies.

In this scenario, corporate universities are becoming increasingly important as a means for the development of the workforce and, consequently, as a competitive advantage for companies that invest in this solution.

The model consists of educational practices that implement knowledge acquisition, skills development and the alignment of operational procedures. This qualifies the group to meet the company's objectives with excellence.

This form of knowledge transmission arises as a response to the lack of connection between formal educational training and the real needs and challenges presented in the labour context.

More specifically, we can define it as an educational institution that develops its activities within a company. They are courses that, as a rule, have a short duration and, as they integrate the professional activities of the employees, they are usually held during working hours and have a practical rather than theoretical bias.

Therefore, managers have invested in an internal educational model that meets the demands of the market in which the company operates. This involves the preparation of a calendar of courses, training sessions and workshops that are offered to all those involved in the company's core activities. That is, the training is also aimed at suppliers and outsourced employees.

The importance of creating a corporate teaching model

We have highlighted the concept of corporate university up to this point. Now, we will address the importance of creating an educational development model that meets the needs of the company.

As we discussed in the previous topic, there is a certain distance between the formal educational model and the real need in the labour market. This phenomenon has led to the search for bridging this gap and preparing employees to face real world demands.

The creation of a specific teaching model, besides qualifying the workforce, allows the decisions and actions taken by the team to be aligned with the mission, vision and values of the company. See, also, other benefits of this model:

  • more motivated employees;
  • improves the rapport between team members (social learning);
  • facilitates communication;
  • greater participation of employees in company decisions;
  • reduction of the employee turnover rate.

Once we have discussed the concept and the importance of developing a training and development program, it is time to work on the available ways to implement this initiative. To do so, follow the reading of the next topic.

How to implement this teaching model in your company

The first known corporate university was implemented in 1920 by General Motors. The initiative was aimed at training workers who worked in the automobile industry.

For decades, the university has contributed to making General Motors a world leader. In 1981, the General Motors Institute became an independent school. Unlike that time, today we have a model that aims at the personal and professional development of employees.

In 1990, due to the need to qualify the workforce and maintain competitiveness, the model started to be implemented in Brazil. The Accor group was a pioneer in implementing such an initiative, however, specialists point out that the initiatives need a maturing process to be consolidated.

The process of implementation of the corporate university model can be quite simple, as long as some actions are observed that will guide some of the decision-making processes to be adopted during the implementation of the face-to-face model. See what they are:

  • check the space and equipment required;
  • choose which human resources will be used;
  • make a detailed quotation
  • choose the origin of the financial contributions to fund the activities
  • draw up a timetable and consider the most opportune times for holding classes.

As you can see, the face-to-face model can be a little bit laborious and requires considerable financial resources. In view of this, the corporate university model using distance learning platforms may be a simpler, more efficient and advantageous option.

In this case, it is very important that you do some market research to check which distance learning platforms meet the needs of your company. It is also recommended to carry out a test with the platform so that you can check all the available resources.

Get to know some successful cases

Corporate universities aim to provide training for employees according to the needs of the companies. This allows employees to deliver products and services in line with consumer expectations.

In this scenario, learn about some Brazilian companies that have bet and obtained important results with this revolutionary model of education:

  • Petrobras which founded the Petrobras Corporate University in the mid-1970s;
  • AmBev, which implemented in 1995 the AmBev Corporate University;
  • Banco do Brasil, which implemented the Banco do Brasil Corporate University in 2002;
  • Caixa Economica Federal, which implemented in 2017 the Caixa Economica Federal Corporate University;
  • Sebrae, which implemented in 2008 the Sebrae corporate university.

Therefore, we have highlighted some information for you to assess whether the concept of corporate university can be implemented in your company. This model can be an important source of training and engagement for your employees.

Thinking of joining the group of Brazilian companies that bet on the corporate university model? Take the opportunity to test the features of our platform for free for 7 days.


Author
Hotscool
Created in
27/6/2021 16:42
Updated
26/7/2021 7:07
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