While Booth University College is an institute of higher education, based in Winnipeg, there are many pathways to this education. One such pathway is by way of the Corporate Learning Academy (CLA), which officially launches this fall.

"As an innovative partner, Booth UC connects well with The Salvation Army’s mission statement,” states Lt-Colonel (Dr.) Susan van Duinen, president and vice-chancellor of Booth UC. “We see students engaged in being shaped, mobilized and sharing hope in a tough and rough world through Booth UC’s many pathways. We are also engaged in sharing hope wherever there’s hardship, in building communities that are just and know the love of Jesus.”

Booth UC’s faculty leads the way in this engagement and mobilization as it equips students across Canada and Bermuda right in their own communities, the ground where they are planting the theoretical seeds that will transform their communities through innovative partnerships. 

Culture and Experience

Further evidence of this innovation and connection to the Army’s mission statement is the CLA.

“I believe every mission partner is an innovator for the kingdom of God,” states Lt-Colonel van Duinen. “And through the CLA, participants will experience learning, gain knowledge and develop skills.”

The CLA is committed to lifelong learning for mission advancement, training and development programs that can accelerate The Salvation Army’s innovation journey and help it develop the processes and culture required for innovation to thrive.

“As participants take part in the CLA, we can see that a culture of innovation will emerge through the experiences of mission partners,” says Lt-Colonel van Duinen.

From Courses to Webinars

Some of the CLA offerings will include:

• faith-based management
• leading a virtual team
• transitioning to supervising or managing others
• communication with diplomacy, tact and credibility
• spiritual wholeness for clergy officers
• a healthy church

“When employees meet with their supervisor for their annual review, for instance, they might want to take a course that would help them in their work,” explains Lt-Colonel van Duinen. “Or maybe someone working in a thrift store or community and family services sees a posting for a manager. That person might take one or more of the courses offered by the CLA to apply for that posting.”

Booth UC is developing partnerships with other companies and organizations who specialize in corporate learning centres, so that the CLA can offer excellent and professional courseware.

The courses will be on-demand and self-paced, and will last anywhere from three to six hours, with quizzes and interactive elements, and will be taken at a time when it’s convenient for the participant.

“A person could put in 15 to 20 minutes in an evening, or they might be given some time at work by their supervisor,” says Lt-Colonel van Duinen. “It’ll entirely depend on the person taking the course.”

The CLA will not be limited to online courses, however. After the official launch, workshops, seminars and webinars will be offered where anyone can sign up.

Exciting Initiative

“I hope that the news of the CLA will get right down to the grassroots so that people will come to know about it,” says Lt Colonel van Duinen. “They’ll be able to access it and develop their skills, and perhaps discover new skills they weren’t aware of.”

Lt-Colonel van Duinen also hopes that the CLA will work with other Salvation Army departments that are working on their own initiatives, such as leadership development, human relations and even Booth UC itself.

“When I think of that, it really excites me,” she smiles, “because I want to see our employees, volunteers and officers flourish, and that can only help The Salvation Army move its mission forward.”

Reprinted from Booth UC Connect, Summer 2022.