Two Ten Educational Grants Help HR Professionals Level Up Their Careers in Footwear

More women in the footwear industry are leveraging Two Ten’s WIFI Grant program to access upskilling and professional development opportunities, especially in the realm of human resources. Grant recipients have used the funding to take HR courses ranging from Payroll Workshops and HR Essential Skills to Strategic AI in Human Resources and Women in Leadership. Many have used their grant to complete specialized training for certifications such as SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP.

Earlier this week, some of our WIFI Grant recipients who received funding for HR training came together with members of Two Ten’s HR Advisory Board to discuss the importance of continuous learning in the HR field. In this closed session on Zoom, participants talked about the value of taking new courses, receiving new certifications, and staying curious about adjacent parts of the business. Here’s what some of our HR Advisory Board members participating in the discussion had to say about the skills needed to be a successful HR professional today. 

On Data and Analytics — “A big skill that I'm working on with my team is data driven decision making. Within HR, you have so much data at your fingertips, whether it’s from the recruitment process, the exit process or from performance management compensation. You want to be able to back up why you're making decisions and focusing on certain areas to drive improvements, especially to management. I am constantly reminding my team to show me the data.” — Alicia Austin, Senior VP, People & Organization, Puma Group 

On Artificial Intelligence  — “Technology is not the first word you think of when you talk about human resources, but it is absolutely critical, especially on the talent acquisition side. Every touch point that you have is a way to attract talent and have a conversation with someone that you may want to join the organization. AI is a really big deal and I think we'll continue to see that across the board. For example, how does AI source candidates for you? How do you reach back out to candidates who you want to talk to? I think we're just scratching the surface with that.” — Amanda Kirchoff, VP of Talent, Wolverine Worldwide 

On Finance — “I started out in corporate finance. I held a CPA for 13 years and then moved over to HR. Having a background that is based in fiscal sensibilities really does give me a unique lens to look at the human capital component of our organization and understand the business in a different way. My finance knowledge has definitely benefited me.” — Lori DeStefano, Director of Talent Management, Sam Edelman (Caleres, Inc.)

On Networking — “I think one of the best ways to keep up with what's going on in the world is SHRM: The Society for Human Resource Management. Being a member of SHRM is a wealth of information you can utilize for anything and everything you can think of in HR. Also, having a group of colleagues and peers that meet regularly to talk about trends and best practices is another great way to keep learning. It’s great to take an interest in somebody else's company and learn what they do and how they go about HR.” — Tom McGurren, VP of Human Resources, Marc Fisher Footwear

Learn more about Two Ten’s HR Community 

Learn more about the WIFI Grant program 

Know someone who might benefit from this program? Nominate a colleague for a WIFI Grant