MMG Insurance and the University of Maine at Presque Isle are pleased to announce that nominations are now open for the Young Professionals Institute, which has provided area professionals with impactful leadership development training for more than a decade. The Institute, facilitated by UMPI’s Employer U program, will run this year on Wednesdays from February 28 to April 11. The online nomination/application form is available at www.umpi.edu/ypi. The nomination deadline is Monday, Jan. 29.
The Institute provides area employees with a one-of-a-kind professional development opportunity—a 7-week short course designed specifically for emerging leaders looking to refine the skills that will bring them long-term success in their careers. Participants hone their professional skills through hands-on activities, on-the-spot public speaking assignments, and business simulation exercises. Along the way, participants will visit a local business to complete on-site assignments and hear presentations by embedded guests from the public and private sectors. The Institute culminates in a showcase presentation before area business and community leaders and YPI graduates.
“I attended YPI 10 years ago and I can honestly say that I am still reaping the benefits today,” Kim Jones, UMPI Director of Employer U, said. “This program provides a unique and tremendously valuable experience that better positions participants for long-term career success through skill building, networking, and learning how to challenge the status quo.”
The theme of this year’s Institute is 21st Century Leadership, which will focus on the mindset and skills needed to lead purposefully and effectively in the modern workplace. Each week, YPI participants will explore a new leadership trait, ranging from self leadership and emotional intelligence to resilience and circular vision. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of these important leadership skills and how to utilize them to advance the needs and goals of their organization.
The Institute is presented by UMPI and MMG Insurance and is supported by Cary Medical Center, Katahdin Trust Company, and TAMC. It will be facilitated by UMPI’s Employer U program, with help from several local business and community leaders, and graduates of past Young Professionals Institutes.
“The future of northern Maine and so many of the industries and companies that call this region home relies on the development and retention of a talented workforce,” Matt McHatten, EVP & COO of MMG Insurance, said. “That’s why MMG Insurance is proud to support the Young Professionals Institute as the program’s mission speaks directly to that need. We continue to see the benefits with our employees who have enrolled in the program and look forward to this year’s continued success.”
As it does every year, YPI will present sessions that focus on the skills employers look for most in prospective employees and candidates for advancement. Participants will work together to tackle new assignments each week focused on these skills areas.
Previous sponsors of YPI participants include Acadia Health Education Coalition, ACE Rent-A-Car, Aroostook County Action Program/Healthy Aroostook, Barresi Financial, Carroll’s Auto Sales, Cary Medical Center, The County Federal Credit Union, DFAS-Limestone, Dunleavy Law Offices, F.A. Peabody Co., Farm Credit of Maine, Huber Engineered Woods, Katahdin Trust Company, K-Pel Industrial Services, Inc., Loring Job Corps Center, Maine Centers for Women, Work and Community, McCain Foods, MMG Insurance, NorState Federal Credit Union, Northern Maine Community College, Northern Prosthetics, Rathbun Lumber Company, Ryan’s Heart, Sitel, S.W. Collins, TAMC, Thompson-Hamel, LLC, Town of Fort Fairfield, United Insurance, U.S. Postal Service, University of Maine at Presque Isle, and WAGM-TV.
There are only 16 seats available for YPI 11. Professionals interested in taking the course must submit their names for nomination or have their business employer nominate them. The nomination deadline is Monday, Jan. 29. Selections will be announced Wednesday, Jan. 31. A $225 registration fee, paid by course participants or their business sponsors, is due by Monday, Feb. 19.
This year’s YPI sessions will be held on February 28, March 7, 14, 21, and 28, and April 4 and 11, 2018. Most sessions will be held on Wednesdays from 4 to 6 p.m. in the MMG Center for Professional Development, located in UMPI’s Campus Center. However, class time will be expanded from 3:30-7 p.m. during an extended session on March 28.
For more information about the short course, which is not being offered for academic credit, please visit www.umpi.edu/ypi or contact Jones at (207) 768-9459 or kimberly.a.jones@maine.edu.
UMPI’s Employer U program, established in 2015, is designed to provide ongoing professional development opportunities through dynamic, customized trainings that meet the unique workforce needs of its clients across Aroostook County with a focus on each organization’s culture, resources, and purpose. Employer U delivers program content full of immersive, hands-on experiences, and in a variety of ways to ensure participants—regardless of their learning styles—are able to understand, retain and apply the information. Existing programs, such as American Management Association certification, the Young Professionals Institute, and K-12 educator CEU courses, are delivered through Employer U, with new offerings being added frequently to address topics relevant in today’s and tomorrow’s workplace.