Training program created by the Professional Education Center at Roger Williams University will help CVS Health diverse-owned suppliers develop skills in finance, leadership and technology

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CVS Health, RWU Create Professional Development Program to Support Diverse Suppliers

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Roger Williams UniversityDOCS@RWUFeatured News Story The Week at Roger6-16-2015CVS Health, RWU Create ProfessionalDevelopment Program to Support DiverseSuppliersPublic Affairs, Roger Williams UniversityFollow this and additional works at: https://docs.rwu.edu/weekatroger_featured_newsPart of the Higher Education Commons News ArchiveCVS Health, RWU Create Professional DevelopmentProgram to Support Diverse SuppliersTraining program created by the Professional Education Center at Roger WilliamsUniversity will help CVS Health diverse-owned suppliers develop skills in  nance,leadership and technology June 16, 2015 Public A airs Sta PROVIDENCE, R.I., – As part of its commitment to support the development of diverse businessleaders, CVS Health has partnered with the Professional Education Center at the Roger WilliamsUniversity School of Continuing Studies to create a new, customized professional developmentprogram – CVS Health: Executive Learning Series for Diverse Suppliers. The training program will helpdiverse vendors gain critical management skills that allow them to expand their partnerships with CVSHealth and drive their companies’ success in areas such as marketing,  nance and human resources.“Working with large companies can be challenging, especially for small businesses with fewresources,” says Raul Suarez-Rodriguez, CVS Health’s manager of supplier diversity. “CVS Healthrecognizes how important it is to deepen our partnerships with these small business owners and investin their development by creating training opportunities that expand their capacity, skill level andgrowth potential. RWU has been a valuable partner in creating a unique training program cateredspeci cally for our diverse suppliers.”CVS Health selected 10 partners for the Executive Learning Series for Diverse Suppliers program, whichlaunches on June 19 and will focus on building skills in areas such as  nance and budget, leadership,management, technology, human resources and communications.The new training series grew out of the successful pilot program, the CEO Master Series, which helpeda group of diverse business owners gain skills and knowledge with customized courses – onpurchasing and contracts, team building, sustainability training, performance management and socialmedia marketing – last spring. Created by RWU’s Professional Education Center and CVS Health, theCEO Master Series enhanced participating  rms’ résumés and better positioned them to win contractswith large companies.CVS Health found the pilot program a huge success in helping its partner base gain usable, practicalskills that add value to their organization. Business executive Jamar Milsap was one of the participantsand says the CEO Master Series helped his company secure new contracts.“For a growing supply company, the CEO Master Series program was exactly what we needed,” saysMilsap, vice president of client relations for Peachtree Supplies, Inc. “From the diversity of speakersand classroom content to the many opportunities to network with fellow classmates, the program washugely bene cial and a great experience. Since graduating, we have secured multiple projects usingthe tools learned through the courses. It truly helped us take our company to the next level.”Based at the University’s Providence campus, the Professional Education Center creates customizededucational programs for local corporations, government agencies and community nonpro ts thatwish to o er speci c courses or trainings to help employees build new skills or gain industryknowledge. For CVS Health, the PEC created curriculum that would arm participants with the skillsneeded for small business success while also providing an opportunity to learn more about CVS Healthand the many partner opportunities available with the company.“By collaborating together, CVS Health and PEC identi ed the gap in professional development fordiverse suppliers and built a one-of-kind program that included both the core competencies that CVSHealth values and the management skills that can help strengthen each participant’s business as awhole,” says Adriana Dawson, assistant dean, professional education and employer outreach at RWU’sSchool of Continuing Studies. “With this customization, CVS Health is able to strengthen itsrelationships with suppliers while also helping these small businesses  ourish in their communities.”“With the PEC, corporate partners can create a customized learning experience that meets theirspeci c industry needs or organizational goals,” says Jamie E. Scurry, dean of the School of ContinuingStudies. “The unique programming created by the PEC truly exempli es our mission of furthering theeducation of our students, helping them reach new career successes, pursue new career paths andremoving barriers to upward socio-economic mobility.”The Professional Education Center and CVS Health developed the curriculum with help from severalnational diversity chambers and councils, including the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber ofCommerce, Southern Florida Minority Supplier Development Council, U.S. Business LeadershipNetwork (DSDP), U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce and Women’s Business EnterpriseNational Council. 

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CVS Health, RWU Create Professional Development Program to Support Diverse Suppliers

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