Chief Operating Officer Raghu Krishnaiah and Vice President Nathan Jones share insights on skills development

University of Phoenix leadership Raghu Krishnaiah, chief operating officer, and Nathan Jones, vice president of Product for Workforce Solutions, are session speakers at the monthly Breakfast Club hosted by Chief Learning Officer and Talent Management. University of Phoenix is a sponsor of the event being held November 2, 2022, at 11:00am – 12:50pm EST, titled “Onward and Upward! The Great Skills Revolution.”

According to the University of Phoenix’s 2022 Career Optimism Index® study, 68 percent of workers say they would stay in their jobs if there were more opportunities to upskill. The same study revealed a disconnect between employees and employers, with employers failing to understand employees’ acute need for career advocacy and limited access to skills development opportunities.

The Breakfast Club event provides a conversation among learning leaders including Krishnaiah and Jones who are leveraging skills development as the connective framework between employee growth and motivation, the roles employers need to fill, and the learning content necessary to fill existing knowledge gaps. Krishnaiah and Jones will share insights from the University of Phoenix approach to skills as an employer, as an institution of learning, and as a provider of education and upskilling solutions for employers.

“Developing our talent within, helping them identify the skills they need to advance in their career with the University, allows us to meet both strategic business initiatives and individual employee growth needs, and it contributes to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace,” states Krishnaiah. “As an institution of higher education and workforce partner for businesses, University of Phoenix centers our conversations and solutions on skills for employers so that we can clearly define the needs and training to address it. This approach can identify pathways that allow individuals to enhance their careers, and economic benefits for employers through productivity and talent retention.”

Krishnaiah’s career as a seasoned change agent and strategist spans more than 20 years of progressive P&L management, strategy, sales and marketing, product, operations, technology, human resources, and data-analytics responsibilities. As the Chief Operating Officer at University of Phoenix, Krishnaiah is instrumental in the transformation of the University and responsible for all operating strategy and results. Krishnaiah earned both a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), as well as a Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania.

“Understanding an organization’s needed skills and creating opportunities to gain those skills should be part of the overall business strategy that encompasses cost-savings, performance, retention, and equity,” states Jones. “An evolved talent development program that prioritizes skills evolution, shared growth and personalized career pathways is critical to driving the success of the rapidly changing workplace.”

As vice president of Product for Workforce Solutions at University of Phoenix, Jones enables organizations to solve their most pressing talent and business challenges with education. In his more than 19 years with the University of Phoenix, he has held leadership roles in Employee Development, Enrollment Management, Academic Operations, Product Leadership and Workforce Solutions. He now combines that experience with the unique capabilities of University of Phoenix to deliver a range of talent acquisition, upskilling and employee development solutions for employers.

The Breakfast Club has been connecting leaders over breakfast to strengthen the link between learning and development and business strategy for over 17 years. In 2022, the Breakfast Club returns as a virtual, mini-event series hosted by Chief Learning Officer and Talent Management and will feature top CLOs and learning and talent leaders. Each month’s mini-event lasts about 2 hours and consists of a 60-minute panel discussion with L&D and talent practitioners, a 20-minute FASTtalk presentation and a 20-minute breakout session for attendees and speakers to discuss the day’s themes, followed by closing remarks from CLO’s editor in chief.

Learn more here about the Breakfast Club and the November 2 session sponsored by University of Phoenix.

About University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix is continually innovating to help working adults enhance their careers in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, and Career Services for Life® help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit phoenix.edu.

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@UOPX leadership Raghu Krishnaiah, COO, and Nathan Jones, vice president, Product, Workforce Solutions, are session speakers at the monthly Breakfast Club hosted by Chief Learning Officer and Talent Management Nov. 2 on the topic of skills development.