Butler University is launching a new collaborative approach to professional education tailored specifically to meet the demands of a challenging and constantly evolving workforce. Designed to revolutionize professional learning across a variety of industries, the new organizational unit – dubbed Butler+ – focuses on guiding and empowering individuals to continue their careers while simultaneously building a robust professional network at the local, regional, and national levels strategically intended to support continued growth.
Butler+ will become the new centralized hub for all online, graduate, and professional education programs at Butler University and serve as the “digital front door” for students and employers looking to discover extended-access education solutions for the next stage of their career(s).
“With Indianapolis and Indiana on an economic ascent, Butler+ is committed to cultivating qualified talent to match increased demand across a variety of practice verticals. Through Butler+, we are focused on reinvigorating individuals interested in continuing their education, offering them opportunities to control their career trajectory. Simultaneously, we aim to equip them with the knowledge, skills, and industry expertise in crucial areas that our communities need to prosper,” stated Julie Straub, Senior Executive Director of Butler+.
By creating more pathways to high-quality credential certifications and degrees for educators, childcare providers, business innovators, entrepreneurs, cybersecurity and insurance providers, and health and wellness providers, Butler+ will change the lives of students and the trajectory of Indiana’s workforce. This initiative is a bold step toward building a prosperous state and positively impacting the workforce, one student at a time.
The key differentiators of Butler+:
- Demand-Driven Curriculum: Butler+ features more than 25 competitive degree options, 15 professional education offerings, 100 custom programs, and seven certificates. With a wide range of learning options, including online, on-campus, and collaborative workshops and seminars, students can fully customize their learning experience to fit their schedule without sacrificing the impact of experiential learning for high-demand opportunities.
- Stackable and Cyclical Programs: Designed to meet the needs of lifelong learners, Butler+ takes a fully custom and strategic approach to providing valuable continuing education. From postsecondary credential attainment, workforce readiness, employee engagement, and postsecondary acceleration to learner pathways and data-driven decision-making, Butler+ is creating impactful programs for industry leaders of today and tomorrow.
- Next-Level Industry Connections and Partnerships: Butler+ recognizes the importance of building a strong professional network. By leveraging Butler University’s extensive network of industry, government, and non-governmental organization partners, the Butler+ curriculum is designed to meet the needs of an evolving job market. This approach provides students access to industry-leading experts and thought leaders, ensuring they gain invaluable insights and practical knowledge that can be immediately applied in their professional endeavors.
To further showcase the scale and impact of this announcement, Butler+ has garnered immense support from key partners within the Indianapolis market, that through this launch will make a sizable impact and bring to life custom programs on a much larger scale.
Partners include but are not limited to The Indiana Society for Association Executives, Serve Indiana, Indiana Association of Restaurant and Lodging, Prospanica Indiana, Association of Internal Management Consultants, Hylant, and Community Health.
“My expectations of the Butler Data Literacy program were exceeded from day one. At Community (Community Health Network), we have seen a significant increase in data literacy among the individuals who have completed the program. With the completion of each cohort, a significant increase in additional caregivers excited to take the next course offering!” stated Lindsay Wahl, Community Health Network.