Pioneering partnership brings essential software training to the public

A new certificate program from W. P. Carey is addressing a workforce gap for Workday customers.

Edalia Kousari, who has supported ASU's Workday system for seven years, has never hired an employee with prior Workday experience.

"They're difficult to find," says Kousari, executive director of Workday for University Business Services. She oversees the ASU team responsible for maintaining the health of the finance and human capital management (HCM) software, including training, troubleshooting, system updates, and analytics, and ensuring the software remains user-friendly and accessible to university employees.

"There's an urgent need for skilled business analysts who support Workday, and the skill set is unique," she says.

The W. P. Carey Executive Education and Corporate Partnership group's Workday Pro Platform Administrator Certification program, a first-of-its-kind collaboration between ASU and Workday, addresses this talent gap by making Workday training accessible to the public. Previously, this training was only available to Workday customers and partners.

"This partnership reflects W. P. Carey's mission to align academic excellence with the evolving needs of industry and exemplifies how we prepare learners to thrive in industries increasingly driven by data and technology while helping employers address critical workforce gaps," says Ohad Kadan, Charles J. Robel Dean and W. P. Carey Distinguished Chair.

The 30-hour, self-directed training teaches participants how to maintain and navigate the Workday platform, manage business processes within the software, assign and troubleshoot security processes, create and maintain reports and dashboards, and support basic integrations using Enterprise Interface Builders. Participants have a month to complete the program and practice their skills in the software's training environment before taking a proctored exam to earn their certification.

"The partnership with W. P. Carey at ASU is a significant step in broadening access to essential Workday skills," says Colin Forth, senior vice president of education at Workday. "By making the Workday Pro Platform Administrator Certification accessible to the public, we're not only helping individuals gain valuable, in-demand expertise but also supporting our customers in filling critical workforce gaps. It's a win-win for everyone."

The Executive Education team began partnering with Workday two years ago to increase the pool of qualified candidates by making training accessible to the public. Workday handpicked just two institutions of higher education — ASU and Marymount University — to partner with on the initiative.

The program is now accepting enrollments and will significantly enhance the resumes of candidates applying for human resources, financial, and other business-related roles at major companies — such as ASU, FedEx, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Pfizer, Salesforce, and Netflix — that use Workday.

"If you are considering working for ASU or other employers that use Workday, having this credential will make you an attractive candidate. There are many large companies using this software, so ample opportunities exist," says Kousari.

Learn more about the certificate and how the program can impact your career.