CCASTD Celebrates Employee Learning Week with The Dr. Deborah Colky WLP Student Award

CHICAGO - Dec. 3, 2013 - PRLog -- The Chicagoland Chapter ASTD (CCASTD) continues its tradition of celebrating the achievements of the local training & development and learning professional community through the chapter's promotion of Employee Learning Week (ELW) by working with the Chicago Mayor's Office to secure an official proclamation; hosting the annual CCASTD Holiday Party; and administering the 7th annual Dr. Deborah Colky Workplace Learning & Performance Student Award during ELW (December 2-6, 2013).

Established by the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), and celebrated annually during the first week of December, Employee Learning Week aims to raise awareness about the direct correlation between learning and organizations achieving their strategic goals. As Tony Bingham, ASTD President and CEO, observed, “Increasingly business leaders realize that the most important asset in our knowledge economy is talent, and a skilled workforce is key to realizing results. We encourage all organizations to demonstrate their commitment to learning by recognizing Employee Learning Week.”

To prepare for the week-long celebration, CCASTD worked with ASTD Chapter Leader Sarah Jeffcoat and the leadership team at sister chapter Heart of Illinois (HOI ASTD - based in Peoria) to have December 2-6, 2013 officially recognized as Employee Learning Week by State of Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

(Both proclamations can be viewed on the CCASTD Web site - www.ccastd.org)

Thursday, December 5, 2013 CCASTD will host its annual Holiday Party and announce the winner (including a $1,000.00 scholarship) of the 2013 Dr. Deborah Colky Workplace Learning & Performance Student Award at the Hyatt Lodge on campus at McDonalds Corporate Headquarters in Oak Brook, IL.

The Award recognizes an exceptional student currently enrolled in a degreed program in the field of learning & performance; a student who embodies the same qualities and traits of the late local learning leader & beloved educator, Dr. Deborah ("Deb") Colky - former Director, Training & Development graduate program, Roosevelt University.

Award Committee Chair, and CCASTD Past President, Trish Uhl noted, "Although we continue to miss Deb terribly, we - at CCASTD - are honored to celebrate Deb Colky's life, legacy, and local contribution every year as part of Employee Learning Week. Deb was about leveraging training & development as a tool to improve human performance, drive business results, and achieve organizational outcomes; exactly the tenets Employee Learning Week was created to recognize."

Aligning to the exceptional performance spirit of both the Award and ASTD Employee Learning Week, CCASTD will also recognize its volunteer community and announce the winner of its 2013 Volunteer of the Year Award at the Holiday Party.

To view the gubnatorial and mayoral proclamations and learn more about the CCASTD Holiday Party, the Dr. Deborah Colky Workplace Learning & Performance Student Award, Employee Learning Week, and/or to discover how to get involved as a CCASTD volunteer, please visit http://www.ccastd.org.