Brooklyn, NY | October 20, 2017:
An inspiring video highlighting National Grid as the anchor partner for Kingsborough Community College’s (KCC) new Customer Experience Management (CXM) Academy (http://www.kbcc.cuny.edu/continuinged/Documents/CXM_Academy/CXM_Info_Card.pdf) focuses on a recently-developed, industry-driven innovative model of education and workforce development. This unique partnership—geared toward ensuring professional and academic equity for students transitioning from community to senior colleges—provides real-world business training to help sustain competitive wages for program participants entering the job market.
The CXM Academy model draws upon the College’s best resources to prepare eligible students for entry into customer relations positions in New York City. Academy students learn communication skills, business etiquette, and financial literacy. There is also a focus on cultural competency, social networking, customer management technology, labor relations management, and government and policy regulations. Academy cohorts take part in mandatory workshops throughout the semester to help them develop as professionals and prepare for the world of work.
Students completing the Academy gain access to paid employment in one of the ten committed industry/business partnership sites that Kingsborough has developed.
Managed through KCC’s Office of Continuing Education, Workforce Development and Strategic Community Partnerships, CXM Academy prepares students for career pathways in customer service and call centers with opportunities for advancement as they demonstrate quality performance and advance in their education.
“National Grid’s continued investment in Kingsborough’s students speaks to their commitment to creating a solid workforce,” said KCC’s Vice President for Continuing Education, Workforce Development and Strategic Community Partnerships Dr. Reza Fakhari. “We are grateful to National Grid for recognizing the importance of developing quality customer service training for our students that can lead to opportunities within National Grid and beyond.”
National Grid has hired nine graduates from the first cohort; another 10 hires are scheduled for this fall to work in the Brooklyn Call Center. There are over 100 students currently enrolled in the CXM program.
“We are very proud to partner with Kingsborough Community College (KCC) on our innovative Customer Experience Management program,” said Ken Daly, President of National Grid, New York and past Chairman of KCC Foundation. We have hired numerous graduates from the program and they are now part of our team of 250 dedicated employees serving customers in our Brooklyn Call Center. Excellent customer service is a vital skill for National Grid as we prepare to meet the clean energy needs of our customers and local communities in the future.”
The video was shown at KCC’s annual Seaside Splash Gala in June when National Grid was recognized for its longstanding commitment to and investment in Kingsborough’s students. It features National Grid New York President Ken Daly addressing a group of 20-25 candidates for the CXM Academy where he spoke about clean energy and the future of energy and regulated utilities.
About National Grid
National Grid (LSE: NG; NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company that supplies the energy for more than 20 million people through its networks in New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the Northeast. National Grid also operates systems that deliver gas and electricity across Great Britain.
National Grid is transforming its electricity and natural gas networks to support the 21st century digital economy with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions. Read more about the innovative projects happening across our footprint in The Democratization of Energy, an eBook written by National Grid’s US president, Dean Seavers.
For more information please visit our website: www.nationalgridus.com. You can also follow us on Twitter, watch us on You Tube, friend us on Facebook and find our photos on Instagram.
About the Kingsborough Office of Continuing Education, Workforce Development & Strategic Community Partnerships
The Office of Continuing Education, Workforce Development and Strategic Community Partnerships engages with and serves the borough’s 2.6 million residents. By fostering alliances with strategic community and industry/business partners, the Office seeks to develop the workforce of a changing borough, reduce disparities across its communities, and improve the economic and social standing of its highly diverse neighborhoods. It enrolls about 25,000 students in its various courses and programs each year.
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