PCC Teaming with Walk West to Offer Professional Development Training

WINTERVILLE—Pitt Community College has agreed to an instructional partnership with Walk West to offer innovative and trailblazing professional development training through eLearning.

The agreement calls for Walk West, a Raleigh-based marketing, public relations and data-driven communications agency, to provide online instruction and administration of student progress in courses dealing with social media, diversity and inclusion, unconscious bias, sales, entrepreneurship and leadership development. PCC and Walk West will share revenue from the classes, which allow students to learn at their own pace.

Tom Gould, PCC Vice President of Academic Affairs and Student Development Services, says Pitt’s partnership with Walk West is “just the beginning” of a new approach to offering the community next-generation professional improvement programming.

“The workplace landscape has dramatically changed in the past year due to the coronavirus pandemic,” Gould said. “PCC recognized that and partnered with Walk West to provide professional development for individuals and industry to navigate through and be successful in this new environment.”

“Social Media Strategies & Management” will be the first course offered through the partnership. The class is set to run Sept. 28 to Dec. 14 and feature award-winning digital marketers using a combination of core lessons, expert guest interviews and in-depth discussions to show participants how social media can be a game-changer for their brand or business.

“Our team of experienced marketing leaders, online education experts and certified diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) consultants have partnered to create a suite of eLearning courses to equip professionals with new skills needed for success in today’s marketplace,” said Kurt Merriweather, Walk West Vice President of Strategy and Transformation. “Drawn from our work in teaching this curriculum to higher ed students and extensive training in the DEI space, we present the strategies we use to help our clients deliver successful programs, culture and campaigns.”

Gould says PCC and Walk West will launch a bundle of leadership development courses for business and industry next month. He added that a “Fundamentals of Teleworking” course would also be made available in the near future for individuals looking to enhance their virtual skillset.

For anyone interested in taking “Social Media Strategies & Management,” the registration fee is $499. Signup and payment can be completed through the PCC Continuing Education online registration process.

For more details, contact PCC’s Wendy Dunbar (252-493-7528 or wdunbar@email.pittcc.edu) or Ernis Lee (252-493-7631 or elee@email.pittcc.edu).