NWACC Supplies Suppliers With Continuing Education

Though the University of Arkansas is just a few miles south of what is commonly called “Vendorville,” it still presents a geographic challenge to some working professionals.

The corporate and continuing education division of the NorthWest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville has capitalized on the college’s location, just a hop and a skip from the headquarters of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world’s largest retailer and one of the area’s largest employers.

The division has tailored many of its offerings to the retail supplier community, providing a whole segment of retail programs that eventually lead to a certification either as a marketing analyst or a category manager — two positions common in office complexes across Northwest Arkansas.

George Andrews, the director of retail programs for the corporate and continuing education division, helped develop the retail program for NWACC in 1999. He said development of the program was the college’s response to a need in the community.

One of the most popular programs is a non-credit certification as a marketing analyst, which has certified about 250 people since it began, and has about 75 people currently enrolled in various stages, Andrews said.

The total price tag on a marketing analyst certification is about $2,400, and requires six courses, five of which are 16 weeks long and another that only takes three weeks to complete.

Shawn Beezley, marketing analyst program coordinator, said that based on a survey conducted by a local human resources firm, the average starting salary for a marketing analyst in Northwest Arkansas is about $35,000. That number can vary depending on a person’s skill level and the company, but he feels safe telling people that number, Beezley said.

“We want people who are not money-oriented, but career-minded,” he said.

“The purpose of the program is to teach people how to analyze data … and to get an entry-level or mid-level position within the vendor community or Wal-Mart,” Beezley said. “There are a lot of opportunities out there when you get your foot in the door.”

Beezley taught parts of the program for three years but now works to place certified students within the work force, and that includes keeping the material fresh, reflecting what employers want to see in new-hires.

The marketing analyst advisory board meets four times a year, and the school takes input from various suppliers to keep the curriculum updated, he said.

The program teaches people how to interpret what retail data says, and what it means to a supplier and a retailer, he said. So it’s important for the college take direction from the community hiring the people it educates.

“We’re using the same tools that analysts use every day,” Beezley said when asked if the program teaches students how to use Wal-Mart’s proprietary Retail Link software.

Most students seeking a marketing analyst certificate are “non-traditional” students, meaning adults who’ve been in the workforce, Beezley said.

Many of the students he’s seen are people who have worked 10 years or more in an industry and are ready for a change of pace — a lot of bankers and finance people, he said.

Andrews said NWACC offers more to the supplier community than certifications to enter the job market.

The college’s ropes course, designed to build teamwork, and the Six Sigma Green Belt course, designed to hone management skills, are also popular among working professionals.