NAMPA, Idaho — College of Western Idaho's new bachelor's degree program is exceeding enrollment expectations as it trains students for leadership roles at Idaho employers.
WATCH CWI and valley leaders discuss new program
Idaho businesses don't just need workers—they need leaders. The ultimate goal of CWI's new Bachelor of Applied Science program is getting those who are good at their trade up the company ladder.
"And it is how you can translate those technical skills and broaden them so that you can actually go out on your own or you can advance," Kris Smerick, Dean of Social Sciences and Public Affairs, said.
David Peterman, the former CEO of Primary Health, estimates 80% of Treasure Valley businesses are small to medium in size and will need qualified managers as they expand.
"And those businesses have a crying need for, in a sense, first level managers. And this program from CWI will provide those kind of managers," Peterman said.
Since retiring, Peterman reflects on the growth he experienced with clinics as the valley grew around them.
"We of course needed the standard staff front office, back office, but we needed managers and so we had to create our own program, in a sense, to train people internally to become clinic managers," Peterman said.
The curriculum focuses on five essentials: strategic thinking, complex decision-making, emotional intelligence, analytical skills, and crucial conversations.
"You don't have to be the expert in everything—but you do have to know what questions to ask them to get the information you need from a variety of areas so that you can then distill that and make a complex decision with the information you actually need to do that," Smerick said.
The former CEO of Icon Credit Union, Connie Miller, told me this curriculum would have been a game-changer for mid-level managers seeking leadership training. Miller now works with other CEOs to manage company growth and called it an investment worth considering—one that could boost retention and performance.
"It's about helping working adults grow from technician to team leader—and making sure they're ready when opportunity knocks," Smerick said.
The program officially launched this year and already has an enrollment of 40 students from across Idaho—exceeding the original enrollment goal of 25 for year one.
