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Although the world may not be quite ready for flying cars, it’s looking more and more like a scene from Westworld or Meet the Robinsons every day. In a university setting, it’s likewise increasingly important to teach relevant technical skills, no matter how basic they seem.

Here on campus, one of those individuals is Andrea Witteman, the senior training associate for the University Center for Training and Development.

“Campus is becoming more data driven. We need to be able to know how to organize data, analyze it visually and present it,” she said. “I can’t think of an area where learning about data won’t benefit the university community — from the cleaning staff supervisors to the administrative office staff and all the way to folks working in scientific labs. Our job is to listen and find out what employees need, and then to meet those ever-changing needs through instruction and support that helps them meet their missions and goals.”

The University Center for Training and Development exists to provide support and facilitate learning, growth and development for the faculty and staff of ����AV��Ƶ. They offer a variety of programming; one of its main draws is the ����AV��Ƶ Certification Program, which focuses on Word and Excel mastery, the latter of which Witteman teaches. The course has been popular since it began in 2014; there is almost always a waiting list for the two-and-a-half-hour, four-day-a-week training.

The University Center for Training and Development also offers technology skill-based classes with a lesser time commitment in Excel, Word, the Google Suite and other business systems, like travel and requisitions; unique assistance to specific departments or groups of people, such as help with a retreat, or creating a mission statement; professional career coaching and compliance; and support for Brightspace and other online learning management systems like Panopto and Canva. The UCTD also conducts training audits for university departments, focusing on how to improve their internal skill sets.

In all her work, she strives to play a part in individual employee growth while maintaining a relationship with her participants.

“For me, a bad training would be one where I don’t feel people are engaged. I want you to think about how this applies to what you have to go back and do,” she added. “We strive to listen so that we can hear a little bit of your story. Engagement makes a challenging training go much better.”

Witteman’s days are never the same. Generally, however, they start with 9 a.m. trainings that last for several hours. The middle of her day may be filled with committees — she is a current member and former chair of the EAP committee and is currently a Healthy Campus agent. She feels that, in addition to the technical skills you need to build a career, there is a holistic element to wellness that is essential for success, and she aims to foster that on campus.

For Witteman, many of these skills were earned right here at ����AV��Ƶ — as a student.

After growing up in the area, she earned her bachelor’s degree from the School of Education and Human Development (an earlier iteration of what is now CCPA), in applied social science in 1996. Around the time she was graduating, she was offered a position in what was then known as the Technology Training Center, the first program of its kind at ����AV��Ƶ and a brand-new concept.

“I liked that the position was a combination of putting together a brand-new department while still training folks in the classroom,” Witteman added. “Things were rapidly changing at that point on campus — people didn’t really have PCs; they just had these Sun stations. There was a lot of rapid skill growth at that time, and so it was exciting.”

Witteman decided to stay on campus in her role, and in 2017, she decided to pursue a master’s degree space available program in public administration; she graduated from that program in 2021.

Nowadays, Witteman is thankful for that additional training and experience and brings it into her classroom. She says the flexibility of the CCPA training helps her stay prepared in her continuously changing role.

“The courses were broad enough in their curriculum that they could apply to many different careers,” she said. “Much of what I learned would give you a broad foundation. I’m not working in city government; I’m not the director of a nonprofit — but those skills still translate over into the work I do. We still have a budget, and I have initiatives I want to accomplish.”

While she added that the degree was practical — it allowed her to continue working while also raising her two children (one of whom is now a Bearcat themselves!) — she also felt specific programmatic courses would help her career, and that exposure to people she doesn’t normally interact with — different age groups, and people with different life experiences — was extremely beneficial.

In the future, Witteman plans on using her CCPA degree to stay prepared. As time passes, she says, training changes, whether that’s because of AI, accessibility or any other number of factors. But she is confident in her ability to pivot, thanks to her degree, and remains proud of her work.

“It’s not uncommon for folks to come in overwhelmed. But by the time they leave, my goal is that they feel confident, and we have a rapport. That’s a point of satisfaction for me. You don’t have to learn everything. You don’t have to have 100 percent. Even if you decide not to move up to level two or level three, I strive for a generally positive experience. Maya Angelou was right — We don’t always remember exactly what people taught us, but we remember how they made us feel.”

University Center for Training and Development events are available on B-Engaged. Certification programs are offered several times a year in Dateline. Trainings are available to faculty, staff and employed graduate students; connect with the team at uctd@binghamton.edu.