Essential Skills Workshop
Essential Skills Workshop
REGISTRATION OPENS MONDAY, MARCH 23rd.
Program dates: Monday, April 20 - Wednesday, April 22 | 8:00am - 12:30pm
and Thursday, May 7 | 11:30am - 1:30pm
Strong managers are essential to strong organizations. This spring, the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce will once again offer its Essential Skills Workshop, a no-cost professional development program of three morning sessions designed to help emerging leaders build the practical skills needed to lead teams, communicate effectively, and navigate today's workplace challenges.
Employers are encouraged to send entry- to mid-level managers. Participants engage in interactive sessions focused on real-world workplace scenarios, developing practical leadership and communication strategies they can immediately apply in their roles.
Through three interactive, half-day sessions (April 20-22, from 8:00am-12:30pm), participants will explore scenario-based, practical strategies for strengthening workplace leadership, including:
- Self-awareness and personal leadership
- Communication and influence
- Building trust and healthy workplace relationships
- Coaching and developing others
- Emotional intelligence and workplace culture
Because the program has filled quickly in previous years, the Chamber is expanding the 2026 workshop to accommodate up to 60 participants. Any one business may register up to three employees for the program. Registration for the Essential Skills Workshop opens Monday, March 23. Businesses are encouraged to plan ahead and identify employees who would benefit from participation.
About the Facilitator
Andrew Robinson designs systems, strategies, and content that disrupt how organizations develop their people. Since 2006, he has built frameworks and methodologies adopted by executives at Nike, Microsoft, Novo Nordisk, and leaders across professional sports, healthcare, retail, and hospitality. As a keynote speaker, author, and podcaster, Andrew challenges conventional approaches to leadership development. He architects scalable systems that transform how organizations develop people, systems that cultivate leader engagement and retention, deepen customer loyalty, and generate profit through activation rather than extraction. Andrew is the co-founder of Oxygen, a boutique people development firm that provides tailored sustainable people solutions that scale. Andrew earned his graduate degree in Organizational Systems from the University of Oregon, graduating with top honors.
Essential Skills Workshop is one facet of the Springfield Chamber's WorkReady initiative, which is committed to building a robust education and workforce development ecosystem, which drives economic prosperity. Now entering its fourth year, this no-cost workshop has quickly become one of the Chamber?s most sought-after workforce development programs. Essential Skills is offered at no cost to participants thanks to the generous support of the Chamber's Impact Investors, whose investments help expand access to professional development opportunities for local businesses and their employees.