Professional Development Programs
Southern State Community College will host a series of professional development courses specifically designed to meet the evolving needs of professionals. Participants can expect to gain practical insights, enhance their expertise, and stay informed of industry trends. Whether a seasoned professional looking to upskill or just entering the workforce, this program is tailored to cater to various career stages.
Courses Offered
- White Belt
- Customer Service
- Leadership Essentials 101
- Leadership Essentials 102
- Yellow Belt Day 1
- Yellow Belt Day 2
- Legal Land Mines
- Operational Excellence
- DiSC
- Root Cause
- Leadership Essentials 101
- Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2026
- Sign In: 7:30 AM
- Program: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- Location: Hillsboro | RM: TBD
- Cost: $375
- Program Description: The essentials of Leadership 1 session introduces topics that new or experienced leaders will find helpful, including communicating effectively with a variety of levels within an organization, how to use your leadership style effectively with people with different styles, and identifying and addressing conflict before it impacts your team or organization negatively. This will be an interactive session with a variety of case studies, tools, and discussions used to bring the material to life.
- Registration: Complete the Professional Development Registration form.
- Registration Deadline: Wednesday, March 11, 2026
- Leadership Essentials 102
- Date: Wednesday, April 8, 2026
- Sign In: 7:30 AM
- Program: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- Location: Hillsboro | RM: TBD
- Cost: $375
- Program Description: The Essentials of Leadership 2 session may be taken after the first session or as its own course. New or experienced leaders are welcome. Topics that will be covered include leading yourself and others through organizational change, giving feedback that improves performance, and communication skills that lead to better relationships. This will be an interactive session with a variety of case studies, tools, and discussions used to bring the material to life.
- Registration: Complete the Professional Development Registration form.
- Registration Deadline: Wednesday, April 1, 2026
- Yellow Belt Day 1 & Yellow Belt Day 2
- Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2026 & Wednesday, May 13, 2026
- Sign In: 7:30 AM
- Program: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- Location: Hillsboro | RM: TBD
- Cost: $775
- Program Description: Every organization depends on processes to deliver consistent results. Why do some processes operate efficiently while others create delays, rework, or frustration? This session introduces Lean and Six Sigma fundamentals, helping participants understand key concepts, terminology, and root cause thinking used to improve quality and performance.
- Registration: Complete the Professional Development Registration form.
- Registration Deadline: Wednesday, April 15, 2026
- Legal Land Mines
- Date: Wednesday, June 10, 2026
- Sign In: 7:30 AM
- Program: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- Location: Hillsboro | RM: TBD
- Cost: $375
- Program Description: Navigating legal requirements is critical for team leaders, supervisors, and managers to mitigate risks that could lead to company liabilities or personal legal issues arising from everyday decisions and interactions. This session covers identifying key laws and their implications, recognizing potentially problematic language, behaviors, or attitudes, and addressing how reliance on common sense can create gaps in legally appropriate interactions.
- Registration: Complete the Professional Development Registration form.
- Registration Deadline: Wednesday, June 3, 2026
- Operational Excellence
- Date: Wednesday, June 17, 2026
- Sign In: 7:30 AM
- Program: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- Location: Hillsboro | RM: TBD
- Cost: $375
- Program Description: Operational Excellence provides the core framework for driving sustainable business performance by aligning processes, people, and improvements directly to customer value and profitability. This session is designed to move from theory to execution and help participants learn how to establish baselines and set aggressive yet achievable targets that directly link ti financial results.
- Registration: Complete the Professional Development Registration form.
- Registration Deadline: Wednesday, June 10, 2026
- DiSC
- Date: Wednesday, July 15, 2026
- Sign In: 7:30 AM
- Program: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- Location: Hillsboro | RM: TBD
- Cost: $475
- Program Description: Effective workplace collaboration relies on understanding differences in work styles and communication preferences. This session introduces the DiSC framework and provides practical guidance for improving communication, increasing productivity, and reducing interpersonal tension. Those who enroll will be sent an assessment to be completed prior to the training.
- Registration: Complete the Professional Development Registration form.
- Registration Deadline: Wednesday, July 8, 2026
- Root Cause
- Date: Wednesday, July 22, 2026
- Sign In: 7:30 AM
- Program: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- Location: Hillsboro | RM: TBD
- Cost: $375
- Program Description: Safeguard your workplace with root cause mastery! Learn to spot hazards, use 5 Whys and Fishbone tools, investigate incidents, and prevent repeats-empower your team to build a safer, smarter environment in one comprehensive session!
- Registration: Complete the Professional Development Registration form.
- Registration Deadline: Wednesday, July 17, 2026
- White Belt
- Date: Wednesday, August 4, 2026
- Sign In: 7:30 AM
- Program: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- Location: Hillsboro | RM: TBD
- Cost: $375
- Program Description: Equipping operators of all levels with Lean Six Sigma knowledge helps to actively contribute to waste reduction, improve quality and help to create a smoother, more efficient workplace. This session will help to teach participants about key topics like terminology, root cause analysis, visual management and more to help the workplace run smoothly.
- Registration: Complete the Professional Development Registration form.
- Registration Deadline: Wednesday, July 28, 2026
- Customer Service
- Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2026
- Sign In: 7:30 AM
- Program: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- Location: Hillsboro | RM: TBD
- Cost: $375
- Program Description: Customer service affects every organization, regardless of size, industry, or role. Why do some service interactions build trust and confidence while others create frustration or dissatisfaction? This session will help participants understand how communication, expectations, and responses influence customer experiences, and introduce practical approaches for delivering consistent and professional service.
- Registration: Complete the Professional Development Registration form.
- Registration Deadline: Wednesday, August 4, 2026
- Leadership Essentials 101
- Date: Thursday, September 17, 2026
- Sign In: 7:30 AM
- Program: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- Location: Hillsboro | RM: TBD
- Cost: $375
- Program Description: The essentials of Leadership 1 session introduces topics that new or experienced leaders will find helpful, including communicating effectively with a variety of levels within an organization, how to use your leadership style effectively with people with different styles, and identifying and addressing conflict before it impacts your team or organization negatively. This will be an interactive session with a variety of case studies, tools, and discussions used to bring the material to life.
- Registration: Complete the Professional Development Registration form.
- Registration Deadline: Wednesday, September 10, 2026
- Yellow Belt Day 1 & Yellow Belt Day 2
- Date: Thursday, September 24, 2026 & Thursday, October 22, 2026
- Sign In: 7:30 AM
- Program: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- Location: Hillsboro | RM: TBD
- Cost: $775
- Program Description: Every organization depends on processes to deliver consistent results. Why do some processes operate efficiently while others create delays, rework, or frustration? This session introduces Lean and Six Sigma fundamentals, helping participants understand key concepts, terminology, and root cause thinking used to improve quality and performance.
- Registration: Complete the Professional Development Registration form.
- Registration Deadline: Thursday, September 17, 2026
- Leadership Essentials 102
- Date: Thursday, October 15, 2026
- Sign In: 7:30 AM
- Program: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- Location: Hillsboro | RM: TBD
- Cost: $375
- Program Description: The Essentials of Leadership 2 session may be taken after the first session or as its own course. New or experienced leaders are welcome. Topics that will be covered include leading yourself and others through organizational change, giving feedback that improves performance, and communication skills that lead to better relationships. This will be an interactive session with a variety of case studies, tools, and discussions used to bring the material to life.
- Registration: Complete the Professional Development Registration form.
- Registration Deadline: Thursday, October 8, 2026
- DiSC
- Date: Tuesday, November 3, 2026
- Sign In: 7:30 AM
- Program: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- Location: Hillsboro | RM: TBD
- Cost: $475
- Program Description: Effective workplace collaboration relies on understanding differences in work styles and communication preferences. This session introduces the DiSC framework and provides practical guidance for improving communication, increasing productivity, and reducing interpersonal tension. Those who enroll will be sent an assessment to be completed prior to the training.
- Registration: Complete the Professional Development Registration form.
- Registration Deadline: Tuesday, October 27, 2026
- Root Cause
- Date: Friday, December 11, 2026
- Sign In: 7:30 AM
- Program: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- Location: Hillsboro | RM: TBD
- Cost: $375
- Program Description: Safeguard your workplace with root cause mastery! Learn to spot hazards, use 5 Whys and Fishbone tools, investigate incidents, and prevent repeats-empower your team to build a safer, smarter environment in one comprehensive session!
- Registration: Complete the Professional Development Registration form.
- Registration Deadline: Friday, December 4, 2026
