LaSalle Academia to offer free courses and professionals certifications
LaSalle Group has announced the launch of its LaSalle Academia initiative, aimed at helping professionals to develop operational skills while making the island more competitive.
The operations and management consulting firm will provide a series of high demand courses, available at no cost for a limited time for eligible individuals.
“We have partnered with the nonprofit entity Puerto Rico Technoeconomic Corridor (PRTEC) and are working under their ‘Ready for Work Program’ focused on workforce development,” said Yolanda Lassalle, CEO of LaSalle Group.
“The courses offered are the same we have offered to Fortune 500 clients in Puerto Rico and abroad, and their cost ranges from hundreds to thousands of dollars. We were excited to see our team of senior consultants step up and join this effort as course instructors,” she said.
Some of the courses to be offered are the Lean Six Sigma, Green Belt certification on Sept. 12, and the Project Management Fundamentals course on Sept. 19.
To enroll in these free courses, interested individuals must fill out an eligibility form to confirm whether they meet the following requirements: being unemployed or in a job in which requirements are below their academic degree or experience; being a part-time or contract-based employee; and being a college attendee or recent graduate, among others.
“We have developed a curriculum that provides the opportunity to identify ways to create more efficient and profitable offices, operations and processes for the Puerto Rican workers,” Lassalle said.
“We have also designed courses for recent graduates, workers, employees or business leaders to obtain the skills to solve problems and develop projects and actions that address the identified opportunities,” she said. “These courses are also ideal for organizations that are just starting out. They have a duration ranging from two hours to 80 hours for advanced certifications.”
Since the academy was established earlier this year, it has delivered more than 400 hours of financially subsidized courses to about 150 participants in small group formats to provide better attention and support to students.
LaSalle Group has trained more than 1,000 individuals since its founding in 2010, making the academy’s inauguration “a natural step in the organization’s growth,” Lasalle said.
Although most courses are offered in a virtual format, the academy also hosts in-person and hybrid courses tailored for private companies. All of the courses are taught live by professionals with more than two decades of experience in the field.
Courses available to the general public, separate from those offered in collaboration with PRTEC, have been grouped under the following modules: Project Management, Lean Six Sigma and Continuous Improvement, Operational and Scientific Skills, and Professional Skill Development and Regulatory Compliance. Under these modules, there are nearly 25 courses and certifications for professionals across various disciplines.
“This approach enhances competitiveness while fostering the creativity and tenacity of Puerto Ricans to attract more businesses to Puerto Rico. It also promotes the expansion and retention of companies located on the island that might be at risk of relocating to other countries or jurisdictions,” Lasalle added.
