HR Courses 15-Hour Courses | 30-Hour Courses
At the Close Group we believe that the best learning experiences are hands-on and application based. Each of our courses and workshops are designed to maximize your effectiveness through tools, templates and in many cases, a finished product.

HR Management (SPHR/PHR Prep Course)
Instructor: Amanda Close, MBA, SPHR, CPT
The course covers the six key functional areas defined by the HR profession and coincides with the body-of-knowledge tested on the professions’ HRCI certification exam. This course contains both live and online components and is designed to provide the student with a strong foundational understanding through online lectures and enhanced application learning through live lectures, group exercises, class discussions and practice tests. The HR Mgt course provides students with the tools and information necessary to pass the SPHR/PHR exam. This course is taught by Amanda Close. Amanda has over 15 years experience preparing HR professionals for the SPHR and PHR exam. The question always comes up, what is your passrate? 80-90% is the answer! Most of the students find this course through word of mouth and they already know what to expect. Come join our course

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30 Hours
Tuition $995 (books included)
Time: 6-9pm
Winter/Spring 2010
Seattle: (Mon) February 15 - April 26

Fall 2010
Seattle (Mon) September 13 - November 22

Online: Anytime

Aligning HR Infrastructures (A-Z)
Instructor: Amanda Close, MBA, SPHR, CPT
The objective of this 10-week course is to provide students an opportunity to simulate the role of HR within an organization as it travels through the organizational lifecycle. Students will learn to design, develop and align key HR infrastructures as appropriate. The student will also learn to recognize the common “aches and pains” felt by all organizations and how HR related systems and processes should be used to alleviate the aches and pains and help drive the organization towards its goals and objectives.
View what other students have said...
"How many times have you told yourself if you given the opportunity you would design the perfect HR program? Join this class with other like minded HR professionals and do just that."

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30 Hours
Tuition $995 (books included)
Receive 30 hrs "strategic" HRCI recertification.
February 16 - April 20, 2010
Tuesday 6- 9pm

Strategic Business Partner A-Z
A Paradigm Shift
Instructor: Amanda Close, MBA, SPHR, CPT
The course will help you create a very clear picture of how you can provide more value to your business and generate the right solutions to address the challenges found in today’s business environment. The course provides practical insights, knowledge, skills and the application necessary to help organizations and individuals achieve their goals one day at a time. This 10-week course is designed to be a roadmap for becoming a strategic business partner. View what other students have said...
“We need our HR professionals to be strategic business partners.” Well, what DOES that mean?! Join this class and find out. Change your mindset and change your role in HR.

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30 Hours
Tuition $995 (books included)
Receive 30 hrs "strategic" HRCI recertification.
Location: Seattle
September 14 - November 16, 2010
Tuesday 6-9pm

Strategic Communication (A-Z)
Instructor: Amanda Close, MBA, SPHR, CPT
Feel like you are a communication chameleon? Join the club. One minute you are coaching, the next negotiating, then directing, and don’t forget being directed. You very likely communicate differently depending upon the person and the situation. This 10-week course is designed to improve the students’ ability to communicate in each of these settings in a seamless manner. Learn ways to maximize your communication styles dependent upon the situation and the audience. Active listening, collaborative negotiation, abstract thinking, linear learning, plus many more concepts will be covered in this course. Understand the psychology of communication styles as well as techniques to enhance the interpersonal communication of those around you.

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Strategic Coaching
Instructor: Amanda Close, MBA, SPHR, CPT

The objective of this 5-week online course is to provide students an opportunity to become “goal experts”.  Students will learn coaching techniques that help people identify their strategic “life”, create effective goals, create motivation for change, and a plan of action. Effective goals are more than just thinking or stating a “wish” out loud but actually taking a pen and paper and beginning the process. Accomplishing a goal must is a process and life goals are bigger than work goals.  Most people NEVER get this memo. Why, because the memo has to come from ourselves.  As a “goal expert” and strategic coach, students will learn how to help people come to the realization that they are the CEO’s of their lives.  As a strategic coach, help them define their own vision and determine the best way to move forward.

15 "strategic"recertification hours

Online Course: Open Enrollment

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Performance Improvement Consulting
Instructor: Amanda Close, MBA, SPHR, CPT
This on-line course covers the key areas of applied performance improvement which includes systematically assessing needs and analyzing causes, then designing, developing, implementing and then evaluating the solutions. This course encourages students to focus on results, take a systemic view, add value and utilize internal partnerships to increase their understanding of applied performance improvement. The course will be composed of resource texts, on-line lectures, asynchronous discussion activities and an individual project.

Online Course: Open Enrollment
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Applied Health and Safety (A-Z)
Instructor: Amanda Close, MBA, SPHR, CPT
This course is designed to cover the strategic elements of a strong safety culture and provide students with the tools necessary to design develop/align and implement long term health and safety programs. A strong safety culture is results oriented and foundational to the success and sustainability of an organization. Students will learn to evaluate their own organizations safety culture, readiness for change, and then align Health and Safety programs accordingly. Students will have access to one of the state’s leading regulatory experts who will assist them in design cutting edge programs. This course contains both live and online components and is designed to provide the student with a strong foundational understanding through online lectures and enhanced application learning through live lectures, group exercises, and class discussions.

DOWNLOAD: Syllabus | Register Now | Pay Online!