Dianne Greene, division vice president and general manager of OneADP Norfolk and Louisville, ADP, cuts the ribbon for the ADP HCM Academy with Jeff Tanner, dean of the Strome College of Business; ODU President John R. Broderick; business student Maya Copeland; and Ryan Klinger, associate professor of management in the Strome College of Business. Photo Chuck Thomas/ODU
By Keith Pierce
Old Dominion University President John R. Broderick praised the new ADP Human Capital Management Academy at the Strome College of Business as "a positive step forward for us as we create more tangible skills and learning opportunities for all of our students" at the academy's recent ribbon-cutting ceremony.
ADP has committed $500,000 to the academy, in both software and funding for the renovation and operation. Housed in a new computer lab, the academy features ADP HCM software, the most common platform used in human capital management.
In addition to access to ADP Workforce Now®, ADP is creating internship pipelines and networking opportunities for Academy students to make the classroom a more immersive, hands-on learning environment.
The initiative was developed over the past two years.
"Not only will you who are here as students be able to use this cutting-edge classroom, the first of its kind on our campus, but you'll also have access to the ADP HCM Academy," Broderick said. "It's also going to benefit our students relative to leading technology in human capital management, as well as interaction with ADP experts. And, of course, that leads to knowledge and it also leads to internships and jobs."
Dianne Greene, division vice president and general manager of OneADP Norfolk and Louisville, ADP, noted that ODU represents 33% of the company's hires.
"You are turning out students who are ready for the new workforce," she said. "It is a next-gen workforce today. If you look around, one of the things that I loved when I first came here a couple of weeks ago to see the lab is that it's set up with a team structure. That's how it is when you come into the workforce today."
According to Jeff Tanner, dean of the Strome College of Business, students will use the same training curriculum as ADP clients.
"Students seeking a bachelor's degree in human resources will now learn on an industry-leading human capital management platform, ADP's all-in-one HR solution ADP Workforce Now," he said. "The goal is to learn technology-enabled human resource decision-making. This hands-on experience reinforces our commitment to both students and employers."
While the influence on the program is immediate, the Academy will begin accepting students for classes beginning in the fall of 2020. Students who complete the HCM Academy will graduate with a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Certification.
Maya Copeland, a junior management major with a minor in business analytics, feels students will benefit greatly from this new initiative.
"It is clear that this partnership will create common bonds connecting everyone here today in a commitment to student success, both inside the classroom and beyond," said Copeland, who is also the incoming president of the student chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management. "It is also clear that the HCM Academy and the ADP Learning Lab signal an exciting shift in curriculum with a focus on developing well-rounded students who possess not just concept knowledge but also the technical skills to get things done and the broad leadership skills to make a real difference."
